Abstract: A swimming pool cleaning apparatus is disclosed which includes a drive head that is continuously biased towards the side wall of the swimming pool by a pair of water jets located on a manifold rotatably mounted on a buoyant portion of the head. The jets are arranged to produce a resultant propulsion force extending through the mounting axis of the manifold on the buoyant head, in order to propel the head towards and along the wall of the pool. When the head engages an obstacle or side wall its forward movement is stopped and the force acting on the manifold causes the manifold to rotate and redirect the resultant force, thereby changing the direction of movement of the head so that it can pass around the obstacle or turn at a corner of the pool.