It's a Kiwi summer essential, alongside ice pops and frosted L&P - jumping into a cool swimming pool. Photo / Getty
It's a Kiwi summer essential, alongside ice pops and frosted L&P - jumping into a cool swimming pool. Photo / Getty
Because there's nothing more tantalising than the sound of splashing water on a hot day, jump into one of NZ's best outdoor pools.
Parnell Baths, Auckland
At a wallet-friendly $6.90 per adult and zero dollars for anyone 16 years old or younger, Parnell Baths must have missed the memo about Auckland's infamous extortionate prices. This large outdoor space has been overlooking coastal Tāmaki Drive and Rangitoto Island for over 100 years and for less than $7, you get all-day use of the 60m lane pool, spa pool and separate heated lido. For mini swimmers, there's an aqua playground, toddlers' area and a family pool. All that and you still have money left over for a Magnum. clmnz.co.nz/parnell-baths
Parnell Baths have been overlooking Auckland's coastal Tāmaki Drive and Rangitoto Island for over 100 years. Photo / 123rf
If you like the look of Dunedin's St. Clair Beach (and who doesn't?) but you don't fancy braving the swell with the surfers, this outdoor lido pool sits right on the waterfront. With the waves crashing mere inches from your Speedos, enjoy a few laps of the pool - heated to a very amiable 28 degrees Celsius - and then fall into the adjoining cafe for a light bite. There's also a toddlers' paddling pool, changing facilities and disabled change area. dunedin.govt.nz/community-facilities/swimming-pools/st-clair-pool
Enjoy a few laps of St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool - heated to a very amiable 28 degrees Celsius. Photo / Dunedin NZ
Lusty's Lagoon, Lake Taupō Holiday Resort
It's hard to beat the allure of an outdoor pool, especially on a ripper of a hot summer's day, but just when you thought it couldn't get any better, here's a resort with a swim-up bar. Currently New Zealand's only lagoon-style pool with such an amenity, thank you, Taupō. You needn't feel guilty about sipping on mojitos in front of the minors either – the onsite ice cream parlour will keep them sufficiently sugar-infused. Come nightfall, stay put and watch a movie on the big screen from sun loungers, lilos or the thermally heated water.
The perfect place to spend an entire day, not only are there six different pools ranging from a toddlers' paddling space to a full, deep-dive tank, there's also ample lawn space for picnics and barbecues to hire if you have a snag to sizzle. Kids never tire of the hydroslides and bombing area (providing the bomb squad pass a swimming test first) and for an additional fee, visitors can add on a session in the hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room.
Next time it's balmy in Palmy, cool off here. A guaranteed great day, outdoor pools are complemented by an onsite cafe but there are no penalties for bringing your own trove of snacks. Simply eat in designated areas. The pools are home to the North Island's largest SuperBowl slide and a zippy little number that reaches speeds of 60km/h. For something a little more sedate, head to the lazy river, and then the sauna, steam room and spa. If you have the tots in tow, the AquaPlay area boasts plenty of water cannons and dumping buckets. Because who doesn't love the uncertainty of 600 litres of water landing on their head? clmnz.co.nz/lido-aquatic-centre
You'll never tire of a hydroslide on a hot summer's day. Photo / 123rf
Naseby Swimming Dam
Here's where we throw in a wild card. This is not a swimming pool per se, at least it doesn't have anything snazzy like waterslides, but what it lacks in mod-cons it more than makes up for in old fashioned summer fun. Each year, around Christmas, the previously empty dam is filled with water. Offering plenty of shade, greenery, a playground and toilets, there's a no-frills timber diving board for the all-essential water bombs, and thanks to Mother Nature, a naturally-forming gradient that descends from shallow to super deep. destinationnaseby.nz/water-activities
Tekapo Springs
Tapping into an underground water source near Tekapo, there are three thermal pools for extreme heat lovers, with two cooler pools when the sun's beaming down and, if it's truly sweltering, an icy plunge pool too. Perhaps most impressive is the springs' location at the base of Mount John. Nudging the maunga, jaw-dropping vistas sweep over Lake Tekapo and surrounding mountains. Tear your eyes away from the panoramas and you can also make full use of the steam and sauna room, day spa and if you're pint-sized, an Aqua Play Area with fountains, showers and water jets.
Tekapo Springs boasts three thermal pools, two cooler pools and a plunge pool. Photo / Elizabeth Pitcorn
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa
There's that word again – thermal. With summer well and truly here, it's enough to warrant a cold shower just reading it. But fear not, aquatic-lovers, as well as six steamy (and mineral-rich) hot pools ranging between 34 and 40 degrees Celsius, this Hanmer Springs institution also features a large freshwater pool and lazy river at a far more comfortable 28 degrees, as well as an additional family-friendly activity pool with beach-style access. That's all before the thrill rides and slides, aqua therapy pools, and if you're as cold-blooded as a desert lizard, a series of 85-degree steam rooms. hanmersprings.co.nz
