Oh, here comes 1 of my favorites place. I need to declare that our earlier plan is to visit Kaikoura today. As we all experienced the unpredictable weather in South Island, we decided to visit the i-site before our journey start.
p/s: I-Site located in every town/village for the convenient of visitors to book their entrance/bus ticket & ask for the details of journey. You can probably get the latest travel info, maps, souvenirs and perhaps a small exhibition corner in an i-site. I did remember an i-site with a great giant ancient bike display right at the entrance. It did impress me.
Finally we make the decision to Hanmer Springs due to the bad weather is coming and we can't see any whale on raining day in Kaikoura. Make up our mind and we just drive through there.
Hanmer Springs is a small alpine town about 150km northeast of Christchurch. The mineral-rich waters of the Hanmer Springs Thermal Reserve, where you can soak in naturally heated pools & spas, are internationally know and the town has become quite touristy due to the day trippers & pensioners on package tours. Lucky, we can still find a parking lot near to the entrance. I did had my pity experience before with friends having our summer thermal spa which almost killed me. 2 days headache after the half an hour summer thermal spa in Hell's Gate (Rotorua).
Yet, it's different this time with the windy weather during early Autumn. I can't even wait for a second to bath myself into the warm pool. Wait a second, read before you jump in, there's different signboard shown various degree of temperature for different pools. I start from the nearest one to the changing room, 32 degree I guessed. Move slowly to others, until the hottest one I have been soak was 45 degree! Just for about 10 mins I'm with the 45 degree water until I felt a bit giddiness then I left.
We left everything in the locker. Just before we go into the water, we took picture with my camera built hand phone. Just about a second and I felt almost freeze when I went out from the water for this picture.
Sue help me on my picture, wooo.... so comfortable in the warm water now ^o^ I have been slept half an hour in a 38 degree pool (I guess is 38/40 maybe), Sue and May couldn't find me when I rest my head on a stone and fall in sleep with whole of my body in the water. I never have this comfort before~~~
I thought I should feel warmer than before after sometimes but obviously not. With the drizzling above, I'm addicted to the warm of the water and not willing to get out, until I found myself almost soak for 2 hours in the pool, and I left the pool and run straight to the changing room to away myself from the expose cold weather.
Guess what, it's snowing just now! We drove away the thermal reserve and notice the white snow on both sides of road. No wonder that cold~~ Anyway, I love this place. Hanmer Springs is a quite town and everything closes rather early in the evening. The town does not have much else of interest for the backpacker beside some nice walk and cycling tracks (we can't walk/cycling during rain/snowing day). There are opportunities in the area for jet boating, bungy jumping, heli-skiing, and horse riding. Yet, the famous activity here is still SPA-ing.
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