Blue Spring, Te Waihou Walkway, New Zealand
© Ian Beattie/Alam
Blue Spring, Te Waihou Walkway, New Zealand
Explore the Te Waihou Walkway while hiking along the Waihou River in New Zealand. This trail near Putāruru—officially opened by former Prime Minister Helen Clark in 2000—leads to the Blue Spring. The spring, famous for its pure water, supplies 70% of the country's bottled water, which is sourced from an underground aquifer system. The water, radiating vivid shades of blue and green, has a temperature of 11 degrees Celsius all year round. With a robust flow rate of 42 metres per minute, it could fill a six-lane, 25-metre swimming pool in just over 12 minutes. Called 'Te Puna' in Maori, the spring is a natural taonga (treasure). So don't be tempted to splash in the water; to preserve the unique vegetation and ecosystem, swimming is prohibited.
Related Images
Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
A train running along Hozugawa River in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan
Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Baobab trees at sunset, Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar
Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Mount Burgess and Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada
Grove of redwoods in Redwood National and State Parks, California, United States
Indian Head Cove, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Today on Bing
Lake Powell, USA
Thousand Springs State Park, Idaho, USA
Fort de Joux in the Jura mountains of France
