Drifters Inn Hanmer Springs

... frankly some faffing about, I drove up to Hanmer Springs. It&#8217;s not raining here either, which is also good. <br>I haven&#8217;t seen anyone else fall over though which is in one way good but in another&#8230;you know what I mean, don&#8217;t pretend you don&#8217;t, you might be a good person but your not that good, you watch ice skating in the Olympics and don't pretend it's for the dance.<br>

We arrived in snowy Hanmer Springs, found a lovely hostel with a log fire and then walked to the village. It was freezing and there was quite a lot of snow. We were surrounded by mountains so it looked like a ski resort. After going to the supermarket we headed for the pools. They are all outdoor, so we shivered in our swimming costumes surrounded by snow and ice, but ...

... dem Abschleppwagen auf besagter Strasse ploetzlich auf Glatteis gerutscht ist. Angeblich ist es die steilste Strasse in Neuseeland und ich bin froh, dass es nicht schlimmer werden kann. Man kann sich denken, dass ich schleunigst von der Vulkaninsel abgehauen bin, zurueck in die flache Stadt Christchurch und saemtlichen "Tourist drives" und "Scenic routes" widerstehen konnte, oder? Gruesse aus dem Flachland, Mirja Neuer Tag, neues Glueck: Passiert ist mir das ganze ja am Mittwoch und ...

... arm. We that we settled into our cheap motel room. We really got what we paid for. Our dinner was an ecletic mix of left overs from the trip so far. Canned tuna from a market in Christchurch, fruit purchased on the outskirts of Abel Tasmen, Cheese from Motuka, frozen veggies purchased at Fox Glacier, and left-over rice from Nelson. Its our new New Zealand cuisine. If we ever get caught up on the blog we'll get to work on the cookbook.

... in the hot pools. We are a bit tired of eating out all the time but have found the restaurant food quite good and the prices here are comparable to Canada. I have been trying to think of any downsides to the trip and so far can't think of anything, unless it is spending 24/7 with your spouse who drives on the opposite side of the road-just kidding-we are still talking to each other and plan to stay married. We have only had two days of ...

... a humpback whale. On the way back to the port, a helicopter radios in another whale sighting, so we speed off to see another sperm whale, bigger than the first. As we disembark, some people are still throwing up with gusto (or whatever else they had for breakfast). Of the crew of four, one person appears to be fully employed collecting used paper bags. The weather is clearing and after a picnic lunch, we move on inland. As we drive, I begin to feel quite sleepy, probably due ...

... was unexpected! After a long and hard walk, we treated ourselves to time in the Hanmer Springs Thermal Reserve. We paid for a private pool, which cost $22 and this includes entry to the normal pools as well. We both thought we'd have an outdoor pool, like the others, but the private pool was a bit like being in a pool in a sauna, and it was a bit too hot for me. The outdoor pools were really cool though. They have a variety of ...

... is usually easy to find. Yes they were easy, pity the first three had no money!!!! Finding an ATM that had money as proving to be a tad difficult, I found this quite funny Brett on the other hand in his most sarcastic voice "oh yeah Claire, Traveling is fun"!!! Brett George, you AIN'T seen nothing yet... you are flying Jetstar over the tasman!!! We eventually found an ATM and we were both cashed up, we had some breakfast where we sat at ...

... great for your skin and also makes you float. It is very hot in there though and after thirty minutes we are both far too hot and glad to get outside into the cool autumn air. We then take advantage of the different outdoor pools, although the forty degree sulper pools are a bit whiffy. It is a very relaxing place to be however; it is rather like having a massage and we both felt really tired afterwards (and certainly much cleaner!).

... the boat, jumped no more than 6 feet away from us and generally put on a great show. You cannot imagine being able to see Dolphins as far at the eye can see swimming towards you! It was magical! So that was today. Expensive, but money well spent we think! Tomorrow we cross over back to the North Island and hope to go to some of the great beaches north of Auckland. Love to everyone and hope to hear from you soon. Charlotte and Michael. xxx