Brrrr! The famous blue pools were at the top of our list for our trip, and we found out once there that they have shut down the suspension bridges. This is a huge bummer that I hope they'll fix for the safety of hikers and for tourism, as this is one of the most famous viewpoints in NZ! Instead of the bridges, we hiked to the pebble beach and waded into the water from there. The water is ICE COLD so be prepared for a shock! I highly recommend bringing sandals and clothing/suits you can swim in and then socks and clothes you can change into for the walk back. We dipped into the water a bit but it was frigid, so mainly waded in and out to get some photos and enjoy the views. The view would be so epic from the bridges - I really hope they'll fix them for use! read more

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We went in late June and it was FREEZING, but beautiful. A good-length walk - not too long to get tired, but long enough to make the drive worth it. The forest is gorgeous and the pool at the end make lovely photos. You can climb down to the rocks and see the bridge and pools from a lower angle, too. The suspension bridges on the way there are a fun kind of scary. :) read more

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