Open water swimming in Queenstown
Lake Whakatipu is the club’s ‘home’ lake. It’s a REALLY BIG lake in Queenstown. We swim at a dedicated swim lane in Frankton (which starts between the Coastguard and Scout Hut), alongside the Frankton Arm. This area of the lake is more sheltered and has handy amenities nearby like parking, toilets, a pub and cafes.
Sometimes, we’ll swim in other areas like Sunshine Bay, Wilsons Bay, Bob’s Cove, Kelvin Heights, Queenstown Bay and Jack’s Point. We recommend swimming with at least one other person. Open water swimming comes with risks and swimming in Lake Whakatipu is no different – some areas have unseen dangers (like hidden currents), so if you don’t know the lake well, go with someone who does or join us for one of our regular swims at our lane.
Saturday club swims
When: Saturday mornings, meet at 8:45am for a 9am swim
Where: Sugar Lane, between the Scout Hut and the Coastguard Building at the Frankton Marina. We have changing tents and there are public toilets in the marina car park.
Swim Lane: This is marked out with ‘top hat’ buoys every 125m for 1250m towards Queenstown
Who: All welcome! We ask that regular swimmers join the club to help support open water swimming in Queenstown. If you swim to the end of the lane and back, that’s 2.5km. If you go to the first ‘top hat’ buoy, it is 250m return. We also have a 50m marker that you can wade to and this is a good place to start if you’re not confident in the water
Chats: We usually have coffee afterwards. Don’t forget to bring your reusable cup!
Parking: There is limited free parking opposite the Boatshed cafe and ample paid parking in the Frankton marina car park. Please don’t park next to the Coastguard building or in the parking area reserved for boat trailers (you may end up with a fine
If you’re a swimmer visiting from out of town and would like to swim with us – please come along. We’ve tow floats and wetsuits you can borrow. We appreciate a donation to help us keep the club running.
Open water swimming essential gear
Gear that we think are must-haves to enjoy a safe and fun open water swim.
- Togs/swimming costume
- Wetsuit – this is optional, but many members choose to swim in one due to the lake’s fresh temperatures
- Towel or drying robe
- Goggles – any pair that works in the pool will be fine. You can get tinted ones that work better in bright sun, but not as well when it’s cloudy. A spare pair is always a good idea
- Swim cap or hat – use a brightly-coloured one so other lake users can see you
- Tow float – these brightly coloured inflatable floats help you be seen by other lake users, they also double as a dry bag (if you don’t have one, you can borrow one from the club to begin with or buy one when you join).
Handy open water swimming gear
Nice-to-haves and gear our members recommend and enjoy using.
- Slides, sandals, clogs or jandals – something to slip your feet into to walk to and from the lake’s edge (the beach has sharp rocks)
- A woolly/warm hat – the best way to help you warm up after a dip in the lake
- Hot water bottle – a top tip from our regulars is to wrap a warm water bottle in your towel or coat while you swim, particularly on very cold days!
- A bucket, bag or box to put all your wet stuff in after swimming
- A swim robe – these are poncho-type garments which allow you to change out of your swimwear without exposing yourself to the world. The biggest (and warmest) are made by Dry Robe, and there are surf ones from towelling material available from surf shops in Queenstown. We have some changing tents, which you’re welcome to use
- Body Glide or a similar goo – this can help prevent chafing from your wetsuit or swimming costume
- Waterproof sunscreen – this can help protect against duck itch as well as the harsh New Zealand sunshine
- Neoprene hat – for an extra layer of warmth around your head and ears while swimming
- Booties – for extra warm feet, and protection from rocks underwater. Dive or surf booties are fine, just look for ankle flexibility
- Swim Gloves – to keep your fingers warm (your extremities are the first to get cold)
- Changing mat – it’s nice to have something to protect your feet while you’re changing. We’ve seen members use clever DIY ones like old bath mats and car mats
- A reusable keep cup – for coffee after your swim (we have coffee at our Saturday morning swims)
Quick facts about Lake Whakatipu
- Temperatures can range between 7°C in winter to 16°C in late summer
- At 80km long, it’s the longest lake in New Zealand
- It’s 290 km² in size – the third-largest after Lake Taupo and Lake Te Anau
- It’s thought to be up to 420m deep in some areas (that’s below sea level!)
- It was formed by glaciers 15,000 years ago
- On a map, you’ll see it has a distinctive Z or dog’s leg shape
- The lake is home to the native longfin eel and introduced fish like brown trout, rainbow trout and salmon.
Header image by Marijn Wouters.