Waitaki Valley RealSwim Adventure
Overview
Based in the village of Otematata, North Otago, surrounded by stunning rugged peaks, we will explore areas of the hydro lakes; Benmore, and Aviemore. Lake Benmore is NZ’s largest manmade lake and the dam is the largest earth dam in New Zealand.
This unique swim adventure has many highlights, including swimming a flooded canyon and exploring multiple swimming locations on two different lakes. It is some of the best fresh water swimming you’ll get in the South Island, if not New Zealand.
Join us for what will be memorable weekend in the south!
Water Temperature
The water temperature could be anywhere between 16c and 21c. It is of course dependent on the weather in the weeks leading up to the swim weekend.
If you have any questions about this camp, please email Penelope: info@fitandabel.com
Itinerary
March 2025
3 nights, 4 days
Below is a basic schedule for this camp. It will change dependant on weather across the weekend. Lakes Benmore and Aviemore offer many different, unique and beautiful swim locations, providing us a great variety of excellent swim adventures to choose from at the time. Our decisions are always based around safety, our number one priority.
Day One: Thursday 06 March
| 4:00pm | Meet & Greet and acclimatisation swim at Loch Laird, Otematata |
| Followed by BBQ dinner lakeside, provided by Fit&Abel |
Day Two: Friday 07 March
| All Day | RealSwim Adventure…format determined by weather on the day |
| Evening | Group Dinner at Otematata Pub (optional, pay your own way) |
Day Three: Saturday 08 March
| Morning | Aviemore ‘ledge’ swim |
| Lunch | Wrinkly Ram (optional, pay your own way) |
| Afternoon | Deep Creek Swim |
| Evening | Group Dinner at Otematata Pub (optional, pay your own way) |
Day Four: Sunday 09 March
| Morning | Final exploratory swim |
| Brunch | Bacon Butties provided by FitandAbel |
What's Included & Pricing
What you can expect across the weekend;
– precise and specialist swim planning, delivery and safety for four days
– on water safety, including boats and swim equipment
– a total of six swims across the weekend
– two meals
– a swim cap
– two highly experienced swim coaches with a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise and one camp manager
Total cost; $985 NZD per person. A $246.25 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking.
Accommodation, transport and other meals not included.
Booking Terms and Conditions
- A non refundable deposit is required to confirm your RealSwim Adventure booking.
- Full payment is required for a booking no later than 60 days from the trip start date.
- If a payment plan is a good option for you, we are happy to work with you to achieve this. Please email; info@fitandabel.com
Recommended Gear List
You’ll need appropriate gear for all weather conditions…just in case 😉
- Swim Suits
- Wetsuit
- Rain Jacket – “just in case”
- Sun Screen
- Sun Hat and Warm Hat
- Sun Glasses
- Personal Medication
- Goggles x 2 pairs – 1 pair clear and 1 pair tinted
- Drink Bottles – clearly labelled with your name
- Trainers / comfortable lightweight walking shoes
- Towels – if you have a towel robe these are great for post swim changing lakeside
- Tow float – if you don’t own one, you borrow one from us for the duration of the trip. These will be compulsory on all swims. Pink, orange or yellow are all excellent visible colours.
- Personal anti – chaffe
- Nutrition: your choice of snacks that you may want to have available during a swim.
- Hydration: electrolytes or similar if you choose to use these
Accommodation
There are numerous options in Otematata which include bachs, units at the Otematata Pub or pitching your tent at the Camping Ground…the choice is yours. We structured the trip this way so you can choose an option that suits your budget, and if you’d like to share with others or go solo.
Please email info@fitandabel.com if you would like any further assistance with accommodation information for the weekend. We recommend booking early as Otematata is a popular summer holiday spot.
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