Starting at 4am, 11 members of the Southern Lakes Swimming Club swam 6km in Lake Wakatipu, from Frankton to Queenstown Bay.
Joined by two kayakers and two stand-up paddle boarders, the swim took two hours in 13°C water.
Once the swimmers arrived in Queenstown Bay, they were joined by seven more swimmers to take part in a dip at the more leisurely hour of 7.30am.
Southern Lakes Swimming Club president Paul Jaquin said the annual swim was in its fourth year.
“Swimming into the sunrise is a great way to celebrate the summer solstice,” he said.
“It’s the longest day of the year. It’s a bit mad we are starting so early, but it’s all part of the fun.”
This year’s swim proved a good training opportunity for some members of the Southern Lake Swimming Club who are taking on various challenges in the new year.
Ultra-marathon open-water swimmer Liana Smith, of Arrowtown, took the opportunity to practise early on Saturday morning — she will attempt to swim the length of Lake Wakatipu in February.
The weekend swim also included a couple of the Frozen Ferns, who will be competing in the World Ice Swimming Championships in Italy next year.
The Southern Lakes Swimming Club will also bring in the new year with a swim in Lake Alta, at the top of the Remarkables on New Year’s Day.
olivia.judd@odt.co.nz
