Weather gods favour the brave

It seemed as though the sun came out especially for those brave enough to take a dip in Foveaux Strait on Saturday.

About 40 people headed down to Oreti Beach, near Invercargill, to take part in the Polar Plunge.

The mid-winter swimmers came from near and far, including from Gore.

Before facing the cool water, Millique Paillandi (13), from Invercargill, said she was excited to take part in the event.

"It's not too bad now, it's quite warm ... we're going to get our heads under, that's the goal."

She attended the event with her friend Katie Ellis (13), and both said they were nervous about running into the cold sea.

Costume-wearing was encouraged and varied from the seemingly popular tutu to the equally favoured coloured wigs.

Polar plunger Ruby Grant (4) enjoyed the dip in the chilly sea, and her mum said she had been excited about the event. The family travelled from Gore for the day and arrived just in time to participate.

Dressed as a bumblebee, Ruby showed little sign of discomfort in the cold water and had fun splashing around in the smaller waves.

Prizes were given to the best-dressed, and young Ruby claimed the title of bravest swimmer.

Originally intended to be held a few weekends earlier, the event had been postponed due to bad weather.

According to MetService, the temperature in Invercargill was 12degC at noon on Saturday, when the event began.

In a bid to raise funds for Oreti Surf Life Saving, entry for the intrepid individuals was a gold coin donation.