Blue Pools Makarora

The Blue Pools are where the Blue River meets the Makarora, and the clarity is the whole thing: the water comes almost straight off the mountains with very little sediment, so from the swing bridge you look down several metres and see the bottom, the boulders and the large trout holding station as though they were floating in nothing. The colour is a deep glacial blue against pale stone. The walk in is about thirty minutes return on a well-formed track through beech forest, crossing two swing bridges - the second one is where everyone stops. Jumping from the bridge is prohibited and the water is around six degrees, cold enough to cause an involuntary gasp reflex on entry, which is how cold-water incidents happen. People do swim in summer and it is genuinely painful. The track was rebuilt after storm damage; check it is open before making a special trip.

What you actually see

• The clarity - metres of visibility, trout apparently suspended.
• The two swing bridges - the second is the viewpoint.
• The glacial blue - deep colour against pale river stone.
• The beech forest - fifteen easy minutes each way.

When to go

October to April; bright overhead light shows the colour best. After heavy rain the river runs cloudy and the effect is lost. Check the track is open - it has closed for repairs.

Honest expectations

The water is about six degrees; swimming is briefly painful and cold-water shock is a real risk. Jumping from the bridge is prohibited. The car park on SH6 is small and busy in summer. Sandflies.

Nearby

Makarora and the Haast Pass are north; Lake Wanaka is south.