Winners announced as Horizons Regional Council summer swim spot competition concludes

Tui Bolger took a picture of her daughter at Vinegar Hill to also win a second place prize. Photo / Supplied

Horizons Regional Council has wrapped up its summer monitoring programme and swim spot campaign for another year.

For the third year, Horizons ran a #swiminourregion photo competition, asking the public to share photos of themselves enjoying the region's waterways.

By tagging the location and using the hashtag they were in to win a water-related experience within the region.

Horizons chair Bruce Gordon said he is pleased with the success of this summer's monitoring programme.

"Our science team have done a fantastic job by getting out to over 80 swim spots across the region each week, with the help of Ngāti Rangi in the Ruapehu District.

"While the sites haven't been green 100 per cent of the time, we've been able to provide information to help our communities make informed decisions on when it's safe to swim at their favourite spot."

Robyn Wilson won the competition with this picture of her partner and dog swimming in the Mangawhero River in Ohakune. Photo / Supplied

There were 177 entries for 2019 which were judged by Gordon and others who chose a winner and two runners-up.

"Congratulations goes to Robyn Wilson whose photo was of her partner and dog enjoying the Mangawhero River in Ohakune," Gordon said.

"Julie MacLean had several entries which were all fantastic, but ultimately a shot of her children feeding an eel in the Kahuterawa Stream won her the second equal prize, with Tui Bolger's shot of her daughter at Vinegar Hill.

"All three have won a water-related prize within our region, with Robyn's worth up to $1000, and the other's worth $250."

Throughout the summer campaign Horizons also held seven community events, one in each district, where the community was invited to come along and help spruce up their swim spot through rubbish collection.

Horizons' monthly state of the environment water quality monitoring programme which tests a much wider set of parameters at over 100 sites across the region will continue throughout the year.

Horizons will be kicking off its winter campaign #plantinourregion in June.

The campaign aims to educate the regional community about planting in the region, the benefits planting brings and how people can get involved.

Julie MacLean was awarded second equal with a picture of her children eeling in the Kahuterawa Stream. Photo / Supplied