Freezing cold water didn't stop more than 50 daring swimmers from diving into Lake Wakatipu on Saturday, for Queenstown's 3rd annual Winter Swim.
Lined up along the beachfront, competitors could choose between the 500m 'Frigid' swim (a single lap out and back), or the double-lap, 1km 'Bone Chilling' challenge.
Whakatipu Legend Winter Swim organiser Richie Lambert says the event's about learning to embrace the 8 degree water, rather than going as fast as you can.
"Some are racing", he said.
"But the majority of people here, it's just about participating. And the cold. The mental and physical challenge of the cold."
It was Queenstown swimmer Sam Melcalfe's first time tackling the midwinter event.
He decided to go all the way, as one of only a handful of competitors choosing to hit the icy water without the protection of a wetsuit.
"I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. A shock to the system, but yeh it's good".
"The water's calm. Normally it's blowing down the lake and you get waves. Swimmers like it flat. They don't mind the cold, they just like it flat."
After cooling right down in the lake, swimmers wrapped themselves in towels and warmed up by sipping hot chocolate beside outdoor heaters.
And many of the competitors are already eyeing up an even tougher challenge next year, with the 4km Whakatipu Legend in March.
- By Rhyva van Onselen
