Putaruru’s watery treasure waits to be explored
Take a walk with the family along the beautiful Blue Spring.
Need somewhere to take the kids or even travel by yourself – visit the beautiful blue springs outside Putaruru.
The clear blue water of the spring is something every New Zealander should pay a visit to.
And as a added bonus you walk along the provided track seeing some of the bushland New Zealand has to offer.
The Te Waihou walkway is located just out of the small town, Putaruru, in South Waikato. There are two entrances located on Whites Road and Leslie Road.
Traveling from Hamilton through to the walkway will take an estimated 50 minutes. It is recommended to visit while sunny, when the colour of the water is more vibrant.
Both entrances lead to the Blue Spring. The walk from Whites Road is 1½ hours one way, from Leslie Road it’s 15 minutes to the Blue Spring
But why just visit the spring when you could walk along the river on the scenic walkway? The walk is 4.7km one way from Whites Road to Leslie Road.
The walkway is mostly flat but contains stairs, small hills and slopes with a mixture of gravel, grass, dirt and wooden paths.
You are not able to bike along the walkway nor are you able to take pets. You can stop and picnic at some of the spots along the walk.
If you have a fishing licence you could even test your luck and do some fishing, catch some of the trout that swim there.
The Blue Spring, and the river that flows from it, gets its colour from the natural filtering the water goes through when it travels from the Mamaku Plateau.
During the journey the water experiences a 50 to 100-year filtration before it reaches the surface where it leaves us with this beautiful sight due to the purity and clarity.
Due to being underground for so long the water is constant 11 degrees Celsius.
The water flows at a rate of 42 cubic metres per minute, this is the equivalent of filling a six lane (25 meter) swimming pool in 12 minutes.
The Blue Spring supplies around 60% – 70% of New Zealand’s bottled water.
The walkway itself follows the river as it winds through farmland and bush. Nature helps make the beauty of the river.
The green trees and shrubs along the walkway allow for shelter from the sun and attracts different birds and their song.
All up the walk, the sounds, and the views all contribute to a great afternoon gathering.
