Southwest of Oamaru, in a little-known miniature version of Omarama’s clay cliffs, is Johnson’s swimming hole.
Many locals, including myself, have been coming here since childhood, climbing up on to the rocks and diving into the deep swimming hole to cool down in the hot summer months.
The nearby flowering gorse and gentle creek rapids make it a serene spot to while away the hours swimming, reading a book and having a picnic.
The surrounding clay cliffs were created out of layers of silt and gravel deposited by ancient lakes and rivers about 20 million years ago.
The swimming hole has a rope swing that hangs from a willow tree nearby.
It is great for the youngsters, and those more energetic adults, who want to climb up and swing out across the water.
Johnson’s swimming hole is in Fuchsia Creek Rd, 20km southwest of Oamaru.
Drive to Weston, 5km inland from Oamaru, take the Weston-Ngapara road, then turn left into Whitestone-Five Forks Rd, heading towards Five Forks School.
At the Five Forks crossroads, turn left into Fuchsia Creek Rd and look out for a gap in the fence, where a gate used to be, on the left-hand side of the road.
This is where you will find the road leading to the swimming hole.
There is a more popular public swimming hole a few kilometres away, called Clifton Falls, but Johnson’s swimming hole is a quieter spot to spend some special summer hours.
