"- Victoria, do you remember our trip to the Blue Spring? What did you like the most? - The water was very clear, the grass in the water (algae) was beautiful and the fish could be seen up close. I also liked how the spring flows in the valley and how we were near the water and played". This is an excerpt from a conversation with my daughter in preparation for this article.
How to get to Blue Spring?
The departure from Auckland to Rotorua takes place using the SH1 highway and then the Waikato expressway, where you can use the maximum speed in New Zealand, which is 110km/h. It is possible to go to the destination by several routes: the shortest totaling 187 kilometers, which means around two and a half hours. The circuit through Hamilton gives you the opportunity to visit this city, and especially its famous gardens, which guard the entrance. Also, by choosing the shortest option, you can make a detour to one of the most visited touristic attractions in New Zealand, the filming sets of Hobbiton, near Matamata.
The purest source of water in the world
Near Putaruru is this famous Blue Spring, a source that provides 70% of Aotearoa's bottled water. The water of this spring is considered as one of the purest springs in the world, because of a little known detail. Thus, the spring water rises from the depths, from the water table, but very slowly. Before reaching the surface, it passes through a natural underground aquifer, which filters it for 100 years! As a result, the water of the spring is incredibly clear, after the soil manages to clean all the impurities of the water arriving from the depths. The water temperature is constant throughout the year, around 11 degrees Celsius throughout the year. The spring flows along the Waihou River at a rate of about 42 cubic meters per minute. As an interesting fact, the spring water is enough to fill a six-lane 23-meter swimming pool in just twelve minutes!
Fairy tales and elves
Leaving for this destination, together with the children, we armed ourselves with patience and hoped that they would be satisfied with what they would see. Children of this generation are generally unhappy if they don't have interesting activities every minute of their lives, and we were afraid that a simple trip to the riverbank would not give them much reasons to be happy. We were sorely mistaken!
I am not a person who can be impressed easily, maybe because I have seen many wonderful places in my life. And yet, the views from the Blue Spring are almost impossible to describe and tell, they are as if torn from a fairy tale with fairies and elves.
The raw green and beauty of Creation
We arrive at the Whites Road car park after an easy drive. It is one of two entrances to the Blue Spring, the other being on Leslie Road. The walk takes us along the Waihou River and through wetlands, bushland and farmland. We follow the tumultuous water, in the narrow areas of the banks, but also calm, until it hardens, in the stagnation areas, in those so-called lakes in the middle of the river. From the beginning you can see the incredible clarity of the water, because you can see everything all along the river and very clearly to the bottom of the river bed.
The raw-green aquatic flora is absolutely gorgeous, gently undulating like a swan song. It is a quiet, easy walk, perfect for families with children. What is even more attractive, especially for parents in a rush to relax, is the perfect setting for long, quiet conversations, as well as the intermittent stop to immortalize the beauty of Creation. For here, God has been generous and created a paradise for earthlings, a little slice of Heaven nestled among the Waikato Hills.
An unreal world
We walk on the left side of the Waihou River for several hours. This landscape throws us into an unreal world. We are outside in the fresh air, enjoying the fabulous nature and the clearest, bluest water we have ever seen. I feel like shouting my joy, but the fact that we live in a society with rules stops me. There are other tourists beside us and I don't want to give them topics of conversation on my account. Instead, children have no worries. They enjoy every stick they throw into the river, every fish that jumps out of the water, they shout with joy when they run and their cheeks are red. What could be more wonderful? "Look at the water!" I exclaim to the children. "Look, a fish" shouts Victoria, my girl. "I'm running at the same time as the spring," screamed Lucas, my boy.
The magic of colors
Now, in this day and age, when almost all photos benefit from filters or digital technological enhancements, it is almost impossible to believe that the pictures in this article have not been processed at all. But this is the truth, what you see here, can be seen in reality by visiting the Blue Spring, on the way to Rotorua. The water continues to get clearer and take on a bluer hue the further we get, and the moment we round the first bend, the magic really begins. It is difficult not to stop and marvel at the color and clarity of the water near the large crossing platform. Once we arrive here, at the place where the Blue Spring enters the water of the river, we realize that our entire walk will be a delight.
Leaving the confines of Heaven
Interestingly, in the recent past, people used to swim in this place. However, at the time of this visit, there are barriers and signs advising us not to do so. Due to an explosion in visitor numbers in 2015, the South Waikato District Council decided to ban swimming at the Blue Spring.
Luckily for us and the kids, it's not a hot day, so no one seems tempted to break the rules. As we make our way back to the parking lot, I remain mesmerized by the water, its color, the peace and calm I have gained on this wonderful trip. Places like this are New Zealand's main attractions, and tourists who come in substantial numbers also come to Blue Spring to be sure that they have had their share of walking on the slopes of Heaven.
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