To end our trip to the South Island, we were making the journey back to Queenstown from Mt. Cook. The drive was only about 3 hours, but we wanted to make a quick detour. Instead of continuing south towards Queenstown we went back through Wanaka, and got on the road bound for the west coast. We were on this road past Lake Wanaka, but we didn't travel all the way to the west coast. There was a special pit stop we wanted to make before heading back to Queenstown: the Blue Pools.
The Blue Pools are a group of natural water holes located on the outskirts of Mount Aspiring National Park. They are a short 30 minute walk from the the trail's beginning on the westbound road. On the way there, we decided to stop for a quick ice cream. The day looked beautiful, there were no clouds in sight, and it wasn't windy. Ice cream seemed mandatory. We stopped at a little cafe about 20 minutes before the start of the Blue Pools trail, which was kind of in the middle of nowhere. When I stepped out of the car, it was much cooler than I had thought it was. We still got ice cream, but I was having second thoughts about the Blue Pools because the reason I wanted to go there was to go swimming.
Yes, it was the middle of winter, and obviously mountain rivers will be freezing cold in the middle of winter, but this activity reminded me of times I would go swimming in the Catskill Mountains when I was a kid. My friends and I would love to go exploring in some random part of the woods until we found a stream, then walk along the stream until we found a spot deep enough to swim in. We would do this in the spring, summer, and fall, and the waters would get extremely cold, so I felt like I was prepared to do the same thing in New Zealand. Also, we would always get excited about finding really big swimming holes because the Catskill Mountains are not exactly world famous for having tremendous natural rivers. So, when we found a 5 x 5 foot hole of water, we though we had found one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. Now, I am in New Zealand where people have told me about a group of really large and deep swimming holes known worldwide for their beauty. Yeah, I was committed to going swimming.
When we got there, the water was a dark sapphire color, but still crystal clear enough to see through. The mountain rivers reminded me of home, and I got that much more excited. What made e even more happy was that upon reaching the final swimming hole, there was a bridge that took you over the top of it. I got the feeling that the bridge was only meant for walking on, but it was so excellently placed that I couldn't help but imagine that people jump off this thing all the time. It was about 15 feet above the deepest part of the pool, and I immediately knew what I would do. After looking at the pools for a few more minutes, I began changing into my rugby shorts. It was freezing, but a quick in and out never hurt anyone. I quickly climbed up onto the railing and went over the edge. The cold water sent a shock through my entire body, particularly in my toes and fingers, and I swam rapidly towards the rocks on the side. I scrambled out of the water and shakily made my way up the rocks. The shock died down, I stopped shivering, and the sheer excitement finally hit me. Similar to the bungy jump, I just got the feeling that I had to do it again. So, I did, and it was great!
Afterwards, we walked back to the car, I threw on some warm, dry clothes and we headed off to Queenstown satisfied and happy. I tried to take in as much of the mountains, lakes, birds, and scenery as I could because I knew I wouldn't be seeing a place like this in quite a long time. It was a bit sad, but I was still incredibly grateful that we got to have such a life changing experience. It truly was one of the most incredible weeks of my life.
When we got back to Queenstown, we finished our trip with a Fergburger and a few beers before passing out in the car.
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