Dolphin Heads is a headland — great views, terrible pool site. The Bailey family’s block backs onto a cliff that drops to the beach; excavating a below-ground pool wasn’t going to happen. What we could do was engineer a fully above-ground install: the Compass 7m Sanctuary Maxi Rib, whose stiffened rib construction is rated for exactly this application.
Maxi Rib isn’t a dressed-up standard shell
The Maxi Rib versions of the Sanctuary and X-Trainer aren’t cosmetic. Compass laminates additional structural ribs into the shell floor and walls specifically for above-ground and semi-above-ground work. That lets the pool carry its own water load without external bracing, and it opens up sites like Dolphin Heads that would otherwise be off-limits to a fibreglass build.
Structural sign-off on the deck
The cliff-edge portion of the deck was designed with structural engineering sign-off so the Bailey family and we had confidence in the load path right out to the boundary — hardwood decking, a gazebo, and a proper terrace behind the pool.
Sandstone retaining walls and a gazebo
Sandstone retaining walls form the terrace behind the pool, echoing the natural rock in the headland. A gazebo ties the build back to the main house, so the whole install reads as a considered extension rather than an add-on.
Vantage keeps a headland pool usable
Under the water we specified Vantage in-floor cleaning. On an exposed headland site with constant salt aerosol and leaf drop, a self-cleaning system isn’t a luxury — it’s what keeps the water usable without daily maintenance.
One of our favourite installs in the region
This is one of our favourite installs in Mackay, partly because the site was genuinely tricky and partly because the finished result sits well in its surroundings.
Scroll through the gallery below — the finished shots first, then the construction phase. On a build like this the earthworks and engineering are worth seeing.
