Te Waikoropupū Springs are the largest freshwater springs in New Zealand and the largest cold-water springs in the Southern Hemisphere, in the Tākaka Valley about six kilometres west of Tākaka township. The water is some of the clearest ever measured: a 1993 NIWA test found visibility of 63 metres. The springs discharge about 14,000 litres a second, and the flow rises and falls with the tides, even though the springs sit 50 metres above sea level.
The springs are closed to all contact with the water, so no swimming, fishing, wading or boating is allowed. There are unfenced boardwalks and viewing platforms, and the Department of Conservation says the cold, swift water is dangerous, so children need close supervision. A loop walk through the scenic reserve is open to visitors, and the reserve is a good place for birdwatching, with korimako, tūī and kererū common in the forest. Our pick in Tākaka for a walk to the clearest water in the country.