Sundry Swims In The South Island

I managed to have a few more swims along the way as we looked around the South Island of New Zealand. Here are three spots I particularly enjoyed.

Lake Wakatipu

We stayed at the Lakefront Youth Hostel in Queenstown, with great views over the water to the mountains, including The Remarkables with fresh snowfalls. In the afternoons, I used to walk across to the lake shore and have a (quick) swim in the cold, clear, incredibly blue water. It was hearty stuff, and I didn't stay in too long, but I loved it all the same. I tried to discover the lake temperature online, but could only find two sites that gave me the annual temperature range. One reported it to be between 8 degrees in the winter and 11 degrees in the summer; the other site was more generous with the summer temperature, giving the range as being between 8 and 13 degrees.

Cleddau River

Even more chilly was this fast flowing river at the back of the Milford Sound Backpackers Lodge in Fiordland. I found a backwater to have a safe dip, and took the photo from there. I'm disappointed that I couldn't capture the incredible milky blue colour of the water.

Bob's Bay

The water at the Marlborough Sounds felt positively warm by comparison with other swims, though we were told it was sixteen or seventeen degrees - winter temperatures by Sydney standards. The water was gorgeous though, and I swam for as long as I possibly could. It was a great walk along a cliff path to Bob's Bay, and I was ready for a swim by the time we got there.