There were big splashes for the shortest day of the year, as a group of hardy souls hit Queenstown Beach last night for the annual Winter Solstice Swim.
The event was organised by the Southern Lakes Swimming Club, attracting about 30 people keen to brave Lake Whakatipu for an early evening dip.
Lining up at 5pm in front of an appropriately-named restaurant The Bathhouse, there was no hesitation as swimmers ran and dived their way into the frigid water.
It wasn’t a long dip – the lake temperature being a teeth-chattering 5degC – as the swimmers shivered their way out of the water with big grins on their faces.
“Like coming here, it was cold at first, but itâs amazing and Iâm feeling great,â she said while still soaking in the cold water.
Wet swimmers grabbed towels and robes to warm themselves up as they returned to the beach, before some enjoyed a celebratory drink.
And for the serious swimmers there’s an even cooler challenge on the horizon, with a 1 kilometre ‘Glacial Legend’ lake swim set to take place on July 15.
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