For Liam's last day in New Zealand we decided to go on one last little adventure. Only recently I heard about the Te Waihou Walkway that takes you through the Blue Springs in Putaruru and decided we had to go. Putaruru is located in the Waikato Region, about 2.5 hours South of Auckland, so it was going to be a long trip.
We left early morning with constant showers threatening to ruin our day. As we neared Putaruru, the sun suddenly came out and we knew we were out of the woods. There are two entrances to the Te Waihou walkway, one is the more scenic 1.5 hour walk that takes you along the springs and past waterfalls, the other only 15 minutes. Because we were driving so far we decided to just do the 15 minute walk which took you straight to the main highlight, the Blue Springs. The Blue Springs are aptly named and get their colour due to the waters purity. The purity of the water means less particles and so more blue light is reflected.
The water looks glorious and so inviting but as we arrived there were a lot of people standing around and few people daring to actually get into the water. We saw a signpost that said the water is at a constant 11 degrees Celsius all year round, but since we'd come all that way we decided to take the plunge. I think we lasted maybe 5 minutes all up. It was mind numbingly cold and made every part submerged in the water ache through to the bones. We swam across the river and back before quickly jumping out and huddling together in our towels. We decided we would take the detour through Te Aroha on our way home and soak in the hot springs there after that.
The Blue Springs are incredibly beautiful and I would recommend them to anyone. Next time I hope to do the 1.5 hour walk and see more of what Te Waihou has to offer
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