Can you swim North to South Island?

A Scot has set a new world record for the fastest swim across the Cook Strait - the waters between New Zealand's North and South Islands. Andy Donaldson, 31, swam through the night to complete the 23km route in four hours and 33 minutes. It was the third leg of seven comprising the Oceans Seven challenge.



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Trent Grimsey holds the record for the fastest swim across the channel, completing it in 6 hours and 55 minutes. The shortest distance from New Zealand territory to Australian territory outside Antarctic claims is from Auckland Island to Macquarie Island – a distance of approximately 617 kilometres (383 mi). Oh yes!

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It would be engineeringly impossible to build a bridge or tunnel between the North and South Islands of NZ using current engineering technology. Cook Strait is very deep and the several earthquake fault lines would preclude a tunnel.

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How cold is the water in NZ? Being long and skinny, New Zealand's ocean temperatures vary from island to island. The North Island enjoys temperatures of 20-22°C in summer, while in winter, it drops down to 15°C.

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New Zealand's climate gets warmer the further north you go, so the North Island is generally much warmer than the South. Head north of Auckland to the subtropical Bay of Islands and you'll stays warm even in the winter months!

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Cook Strait can also be one of the world's roughest stretches of water. It's part of the westerly wind belt known as the Roaring Forties. As the only gap between the mountainous main islands of the country, the strait acts like a huge wind tunnel.

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Wellington Harbour Water quality changes, so avoid swimming for 2 – 3 days after heavy rain. See lawa.org.nz/swim for more info on popular swim spots.

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5-10 days will mean you can take a tour with more time to explore and more 2 nights stops on one island 10-14 days will allow you to visit both the North and South Island starting on one and finishing on the other.

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For a 10-day trip, we recommend visiting up to four or five different destinations. Our 10-day itinerary locations are some of the most popular: Auckland the City of Sails, Wellington the cultural, art and food capital, and Queenstown the home of world-class adrenaline activities.

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