Otukaikino Creek at swimming hole

A muddy dip in the Waimakariri is in store for visitors to this swimming hole, formed as the Otukaikino Creek feeds into the large river. This hole is sheltered and gets a low flow for a pleasant swimming experience. There is space for parking under the motorway bridge.

The best indicator of swimming water quality at this site is the overall bacterial risk. There is a swimming hole at Otukaikino Creek just before the Creek enters the Waimakariri River. It is a sheltered swimming hole with low flows, situated on the south side of SH1 Waimakariri River bridge. Access to this site is by turning left just before the old Waimakariri bridge. Follow the stopbank track up and under the SH1 bridge to a carparking area. There is parking and toilet facilities available at this site. There is a grassy area next to the swimming hole perfect for picnicing. The site is opposite a boat ramp on the Waimakariri river which can get busy during the summer. This site is monitored weekly between November-March by Environment Canterbury.

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Water Quality

Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on March 5th, 2023. The Swim Guide - New Zealand updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on March 5th, 2023 at 7:55 PM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Environment Canterbury Regional Council monitors water quality at popular swimming spots throughout the Canterbury region.

Water quality data on Swim Guide is sourced from the LAWA Can I Swim Here? website. www.lawa.org.nz/swim

At this site, water is regularly tested for levels of E. coli and potentially toxic algae during the summer months. E. coli is a faecal indicator bacteria is used to indicate the level of harmful pathogens in the water, and the presence of toxic algae blooms can be harmful to people and animals.

See information on recreational water quality monitoring in New Zealand in the LAWA factsheet: https://www.lawa.org.nz/learn/factsheets/coastal-and-freshwater-recreation-monitoring/

Beach sites are shown as a GREEN swim icon if the latest E. coli test result was in the range of 0 - 550 E. coli / 100 mL or the toxic algae level is below 20% coverage on rocks.

Beach sites are shown as a RED swim icon if the latest E. coli test result exceeded 550 E. coli / 100 mL or the toxic algae level exceeds 20% coverage or mats are forming on the river's edge.

A RED swim icon status is also assigned if this site frequently exceeds the standards or there is a temporary water quality issue outside the routine testing programme (e.g. sewage overflow).

See information on the standards for recreational water quality monitoring in New Zealand in the 'What do the swim icons mean?' LAWA factsheet.

LAWA recommends for all sites, to avoid swimming for 2 - 3 days after significant rain, even for sites that normally have good water quality.

A good rule of thumb is to check that you can see your toes in knee deep water.

Toxic algae blooms can form rapidly, and even small amounts can be harmful - stay safe and get to know what to look for here so you can avoid it: https://www.lawa.org.nz/learn/factsheets/potentially-toxic-algae/

See www.lawa.org.nz/swim for up to date information on current warnings and alerts, weather conditions, real-time water temperature and flow rates, and what facilities are available, the monitoring history at this site and helpful factsheets.

Water Quality Graph