Blue Spring New Zealand is a very serene locations with beautiful colors. It is possible to stay stuck for hours looking at the plants moving in the crystal clear water! Below is my guide to help you plan your walk and visit.
Why visit the Blue Spring New Zealand ? – video
About the Blue Spring NZ
- The water of the Blue Spring is extremely pure. It supplies 60% to 70% of the bottled water in New Zealand as the filtering from the Mamaku Plateau takes 50 to 100 years. Therefore it has been cleared of many particles and it is one of the purest sources in the world
- The walk takes you along the Waihou river where you can see the intense blue of the crystal clear water
- The source flows quite fast as it could fill a 25m long swimming pool (with 6 lanes) in around 12 minutes
- The water is at a constant 11°C all year round
- With the plant life thriving in those waters and the surrounding hills covered in bush, it looks like a place where fairies could live 🙂 This is one of the best places to visit in New Zealand North Island, in my opinion.
- Its maori name is Te Puna
Below is a short video of the walk from Leslie Road carpark:
More photos after the planning tips
Planning tips – Blue Spring Putaruru
Putaturu Blue Spring location
- North Island, South Waikato District
- Midway between Hamilton and Rotorua (South of Auckland), near Putaruru town
- Auckland to Blue Spring = 2h20 drive – so you can do it on a day trip from Auckland
- Hamilton to Blue Spring = 55 min drive
- Rotorua to Blue Spring = 45min drive
- I strongly recommend making it a stop on your North island itinerary
- The Blue Spring is included in my eBooks with GPS info, tips and practical maps to plan your trip:
Plan your dream trip in New Zealand thanks to my guide
- 12 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 200+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Winter tips to make the most of your time
- 285+ original photos to help you choose
Visiting the New Zealand Blue Spring
- There are 2 carparks for 2 different lengths of walks
- Paved roads all the way
- Free access – CLOSED UNTIL NOVEMBER 2024
- Toilets are located close to the Spring and the boardwalk (not at the carparks) and I think there is another one on the walkway from Whites Road.
- No other facilities
- From the Leslie Road carpark – Plan 1h for an easy and slow exploration up to the spring and return – No shade! (15min walk each direction)
- From Whites Road carpark – Plan 3h return with a few steep areas – some shade in the trees. On top of the spring, you will see small waterfalls / rapids on the river – You need walking shoes for this one, and please remember to clean them between walks to avoid spreading Kauri tree disease.
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My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Prefer a car with enough power for the mountain areas
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
Can you swim in the Blue Spring New Zealand?
No, it is not allowed to swim around the Spring. It is is great, otherwise it would damage the vegetation.
The spring is considered a Natural taonga (treasure) and the signs ask you to be kaitiaki (guardians) of the place to protect the beauty of the Blue Spring for future generations.
However, close to the Whites Road carpark, it is allowed to swim in the stream.
Accommodations near the Blue Spring
There are not many accommodations really close to the Blue Spring.
I recommend stopping there on your way to Rotorua and staying in Rotorua
- In Rotorua I stayed in a room at a B&B (Rotorua City Homestay) They were very welcoming and I enjoyed the breakfast a lot – Check out photos and availabilities
- Or check out the best rated accommodations in Rotorua
Leslie Road Access To Blue Spring walk
The shorter walk to see the spring is from the Leslie Road Access.
It is well indicated and adds 1.2km of driving on a side road. The road is narrow but not difficult and paved all the way to the carpark.
Once at the carpark, you cannot miss it either!
Make sure you hide everything in the car. I saw broken glass there, so thieves do walk around looking for opportunities (not much traffic and people away on a walk).
The walking path is well maintained with some slopes but not much.
However there is no shade, so midday with the sun high can be quite hot!
After 10min of walking, you reach a first section of the river. This is not the Spring but the river around it. And it is already stunning.
You get your first glimpse from above between the trees.
And then you walk down to a bridge over the river. It is one of the bluest parts of the river. Take your time and enjoy.
Look at the various plants, the colors and the clarity of the water!
When the sun is out, the whole place sparkles, and you can imagine yourself in a fairy-tale 🙂
The Te Wahiou stream is totally fed by springs.
But this is not spring yet, you still have to walk 300m past the gate.
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But I also like other drinks and sweets!
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The Blue Spring boardwalk
After walking past beautiful trees, you follow the river slightly uphill and walk back down to water level.
This is great to have different perspectives on the waters and the plants.
Some people compare them to mermaid hairs. What do you think?
Below is the Spring itself. Really Really blue. There is a viewing platform and you can also climb stairs to your left.
Why is the Blue Spring so blue?
According to the explanations near the Spring, the color is due to the high optical purity of the water. Pure natural water are blue to blue-green due to the lack light absorbing particles. Those particles have been removed during the 50 to 100 years of filtering through the underground aquifers. And the end the red wave lengths and some of the green are absorbed, leaving only the blue.
Then you can enjoy a board walk along the Te Waihou river before turning around (otherwise you head to the other carpark with the longer hike)
Te Waihou Walkway
If you want to complete the longer walk, you start at the Whites Road carpark.
It is a 4.7km one way plus a 0.5km loop track.
The whole return trip should take you 3 hours.
It is well indicated, so no worries!
This is the view at the beginning of the Spring loop.
The rest of the track is rougher. More hiking than walking but not very technical.
It will take you along the river with some rapids and small waterfalls.
Other similar springs to visit in New Zealand
I love springs. They look magical, and it is like entering another world. So I visited 2 others that might interest you.
Humarana Spring
North Island
North of Lake Rotorua, you can do a walking loop on private land and see the Humarana Spring.
You have to pay to visit this one though.
I have found the spring not as beautiful, but the whole walk was enjoyable with redwoods and bridges.
Pupu springs
South Island
The Pupu springs are located around Takaka on the North Coast of South Island.
It is a 30min walking loop around pools. This is quite different as it is not a stream.
The colors are as fascinating. And if you look well from one of the platform, you can see ‘the dancing sands’ where the water springs out of the earth through the sand.
And do not mix that up with the Blue Pools on South island, in the Haast valley.
All those locations are included in my eBook:
Plan your dream trip in New Zealand thanks to my guide
- 12 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 200+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Winter tips to make the most of your time
- 285+ original photos to help you choose
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