(CRAZY LADIES) MIDWINTER SWIM CLUB

So, I’ve recently learned that there is a group of local – I’ll call them ‘brave and adventurous’ women (you might call them crazy) - who attempt to do a midwinter swim on, or as close to, the Winter Solstice, 21st June, each year at Little Kaiteri beach.

A couple of years ago I thoroughly enjoyed reading Faith Hogan’s ‘The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club’, which left me hankering to meet some likeminded women. Mind you, swimming in the North Sea at midnight was NOT the appeal, but the ocean plunge with friends was! (Little Kaiteri beach is my happy place).

When I was invited to join the chat group of these ’brave women’ who do this Kaiteri Midwinter Swim, I jumped at the chance. While the 21st was a bleak and wet day, a group settled on Monday 22 nd June as the forecast was much more acceptable. I was so appreciative of being able to join four other ‘brave women’ for the journey to the coast. It was 2 degrees when I left Tapawera to meet the others, all rugged up with thermals packed in my bag to help defrost post-swim.

I think the temperature rose to around 12-13 at Little Kaiteri around midday and the beach was at it’s very best. Calm, clean and tranquil, with nary another person about. It wasn’t even nearly as cold as we’d imagined on the beach, as we took time for some sand drawing, but the water did manage to take our breath away. How invigorating and utterly refreshing it was! We didn’t stay in long, but a couple of us (gluttons for punishment) went back in a second time, just to be sure, to be sure. I can even say that the thermals weren’t needed at all, but we did appreciate some hot chips and then hot coffees as rewards for our bravery.

Until next year girls….. I have a new group of friends that I have bonded with doing this simple thing. Thank you girls (names withheld to protect the vulnerable…LOL!)

(Next year we’ll need someone who will photograph us actually in the water, but we were all too keen to get in to be worried about that this time.)