How Plungie brought the Max to Mount Eliza for the first waterfront season in The Block's history.
Plungie is officially back on The Block for a fourth year running, and 2026 has already made history.
This season swapped the suburbs for the coast, with all five homes built on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula in Mount Eliza. It's the first time in the show's 22-season history that The Block has taken on a waterfront setting, and every outdoor space has been designed with that view in mind.
Every contestant chose the same pool: the Plungie Max. Five houses, five Maxes, three ecoFinish colours, and one install week that saw all five pools delivered and craned in.
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Why the Max, one per home
Last year at Daylesford, every house got a dual set-up: a Plungie Max plus a Plungie Quad. Daylesford is a wellness destination, so the Quad's hot-and-cold plunge functionality suited the market, and the yards were big enough to fit both pools without crowding.
Mount Eliza is a different brief. The beach is on the doorstep for a proper swim, so the pool needs to earn its place as the everyday option: family time, entertaining, and the days no one feels like packing up and heading down to the sand. The Max does that on its own, and it holds the space of a big waterfront yard without needing a second pool alongside it.
House 1 – Adam & JoleneInstall type: Semi-recessed Married pair Adam and Jolene brought serious build experience to The Block from Roxby Downs in the South Australian outback, having already project-managed the renovation of an old station homestead together. Adam and Jolene went relaxed coastal, semi-recessing their Max so the water sits level with the home and deck. Sahara Sand keeps it fresh and bright, while a checked waterline tile adds personality against warm timber and crisp stone coping. The standout move? Bringing the alfresco poolside, with an outdoor kitchen, BBQ and bar seating overlooking the view. |
House 2 – Chantel & WyattInstall type: Semi-recessed Gold Coast couple Chantel and Wyatt brought a strong combined skillset to this season, with Chantel's hands-on experience across 100+ homes and Wyatt keeping the schedule and trades in line. Chantel and Wyatt carried their light-and-bright look outdoors, with a patterned waterline tile pulling soft greens and coastal tones from the Mount Eliza landscape. Striped bench seating, loungers, armchairs under parasols and a poolside daybed mean there's no shortage of places to settle in. |
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Install type: Semi-recessed Lisa and Rosco flew in from Perth with a clear mission: The Block is essentially a rehearsal for the family farmhouse they're planning to build on their recently purchased acreage back home. Lisa and Rosco swapped the expected bright blue for drama. Perle Noire turns the Max into a deep, moody centrepiece that echoes the darker finishes inside, so the styling stays simple: warm timber, white accents and pared-back planting, with Mornington Peninsula views beyond. |
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Install type: Semi-recessed Best friends of 12 years, Brisbane pair Courtney and Sev split site management and interior design between them, having already renovated one property together back in 2021. Courtney and Sev used a series of levels to flow from the home down to the Max, giving cooking, dining, lounging and swimming their own zones. Sahara Sand with no waterline tile gives the water a dreamy light-turquoise hue. |
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Install type: Semi-recessed Father-daughter duo Rick and Tayla come to The Block from Altona in Victoria, with Rick's 100+ residential builds behind him and Tayla learning on the tools alongside him. Instead of loungers, Rick and Tayla put a dining setting on the pool level, made for post-swim snacks and sunset drinks. A statement green waterline tile pops against Kona Coast, whose crisp white tone keeps the water fresh and bright. |
Behind the scenes: why builders trust Plungie for The Block
Getting five pools into five yards inside a single build week is the kind of timeline that would break a traditional pool build. It's the reason Plungie has been the exclusive pool supplier for four seasons running, across The Block 2023 (Hampton East), 2024 (Phillip Island), 2025 (Daylesford), and now Mount Eliza in 2026.
Every Plungie Max on this season was cast in our Brisbane factory, tested at a NATA-accredited facility, and delivered to Mount Eliza fully finished. Site prep and pool manufacturing run in parallel rather than in sequence, so the day the crane arrives on site, the pool arrives with it. A Plungie can be craned in and plumbed in a day, and is ready to install in as little as 10 days, over 74% faster than a traditional pool build.
For builders and site managers, the proposition is straightforward:
- Multiple pools installed in a single day with the same crane and crew.
- Any qualified builder can install a Plungie, no pool licence required.
- No 28-day concrete curing period holding up the rest of the build.
- Backed by a 10-year warranty on structure and finish.
That's what earns the spot on The Block, and it's the same reason builders and architects across Australia specify Plungie for their own projects, whether the cameras are watching or not.
From The Block backyard to their own: Steph & Gian Ottavio's Japandi Estate
The best proof of a good product is what a former contestant chooses when the cameras are off.
Steph Ottavio is a Sydney-based architect, founder of SjO Architects and the Japandi Estate project, and one half of the 2023 Block-winning couple who took the season with a Plungie Original in their backyard.
When it came time to design her own family home, Steph chose the Original again.
"The fact that you can deliver a precast concrete pool to the finish and to the standard in which it comes in is honestly unbelievable," Steph says.
The Original sits above-ground in a Kona Coast finish, framed by warm beige cladding and complementary coping. It flows straight out from the home's living area, and Steph puts it best:
"Plungie has honestly shaped our backyard; we probably wouldn't use it as much if it wasn't for the pool!"
See the full Japandi Estate project gallery for more on how Steph and Gian brought their winning backyard home.
Your Block 2026 questions answered
Where was The Block 2026 filmed?
The Block 2026 was filmed in Mount Eliza on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, marking the first waterfront season in the show's 22-season history. Five new luxury homes were built along the coastline, giving every contestant the rare canvas of a waterfront block and a coastal aesthetic to design around.
When did The Block 2026 premiere?
Season 22 of The Block premiered on Sunday 2 August 2026 on Channel 9 and 9Now, with the backyard reveal episode airing on Sunday 11 October. Auction night follows in November.
Which Plungie pool did each house get on The Block 2026?
Every house chose the Plungie Max, our 6m x 3m precast concrete plunge pool and the world's largest monolithic precast concrete swimming pool. Three ecoFinish colours were chosen across the five homes: Sahara Sand for Houses 1, 2 and 4; Perle Noire for House 3; and Kona Coast for House 5.
What's in the Plungie prize pool for The Block 2026 winners?
Plungie is part of the largest prize pool in Block history. The winning Blockheads take home a Plungie Arena, our 3.5m round pool, for their own home, plus $50,000 in cash. Both sit on top of their auction profits and the standard $100,000 winner's prize.
How does Plungie install five pools in a single build week?
Every Plungie is cast, cured, and finished in our Brisbane factory before it arrives on site. Site prep runs in parallel with pool manufacturing, so the day the crane rolls up on install day, the pool arrives with it. Every Plungie can be craned in and plumbed in a day, and installs over 74% faster than a traditional pool build. That's how five Maxes made it into five Mount Eliza yards inside a single build week.
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