This is a book about New Zealanders, the water, and our old and deep connection between the two: swimming in the outdoors. Every neighbourhood has its river swimming hole, its local beach, its back road to the lake or the climb over a fence to jump in the creek.

From Northland to Fiordland, Annette Lees swam outdoors every day for a year in our rivers, lakes, ponds, seas, estuaries, wetlands, springs and outdoor lido pools.  Across the country local people shared with her their swimming places and their family swimming stories.  It emerges that New Zealanders have a serious passion for water and outdoor swimming.  In Swim, Annette has collected our stories, of urban swims, brave swims, night swims, forbidden swims, famous swims, winter swimming, the endurance swimmers of the Depression, and the swimming ANZACs.  Threaded through these tales is the diary of her year of swimming.

The result is an inspiring, evocative and beautifully written tribute to this cherished aspect of New Zealand life.