About | Blue Spring – Te Waihou Walkway
The Blue Spring at Te Waihou Walkway has some of the cleanest water in the world, it’s so pure, it supplies around 70% of New Zealand’s bottled water and supplies about half of Putaruru’s water supply.
The water in the Waihou River comes from Mamaku Plateau, a natural underground aquifer that takes 50-100 years to reach the surface. As it passes through the rocks, impurities are filtered out, making it wonderfully pure, clean, and clear.
The water, with its beautiful bright hues of blue and green may look appealing but it’s a chilly 11 degrees celsius year-round. This is because the spring originates from deep underground and the water hasn’t come into contact with light for a very long time.
The track follows the Waihou River most of the way, through native bush and across country land with a few small waterfalls along the way. And if you’re lucky, you might spot a Rainbow trout in the beautiful river.
The walk starting from Whites Road carpark will take 3 hours to complete, whereas the one starting from Leslie Road is only a short 30-minute walk, fantastic for little legs.
The Blue Springs have had a huge spike of people visiting. Usually, 10,000 people would come and enjoy the Te Waihou Walkway but since becoming famous on the internet, more than 9,000 people visited in December 2016 alone. With the increase of people, it has only made it harder to help preserve this beautiful and natural resource which became a popular swimming spot. This damaged riverbanks, aquatic plants and water quality. There is now no swimming allowed.
There is a toilet at Whites Road carpark and three more along the track. Fill your drink bottles up at the water fountain next to the Blue Springs – it’s some of the world’s purest water. You’ll also come across the pump station on the track which treats the water and transfers it to the Putaruru township where it is bottled and sold.
While walking along the track, you might notice parts of a poem engraved into boulders. This was in honour of a lady named Linda Margaret Pearce who passed away in 2003. It’s a beautiful reminder to make the most out of each day before it’s too late.
Dust If You Must, by Rose Milligan
Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come, and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.
Map
Nearby
Matamata i-SITE Visitor Information Site
Location
Depending on where you’re starting from:
- Leslie Road (for the shorter 30-minute walk)
- Whites Road (for the 3-hour return walk)
Photos
