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Tuesday 8th May We awoke to a stunning red sunrise (is there some weather on the way?) and a beautifully pink sky over our campervan in Hanmer Springs. Sad to realise that this will be our last breakfast in Crowded House and today we are on our way back down to Christchurch and our campervan holiday will be over....but first a drive around the area here and a walk down to the town for a coffee. We have plenty of time today, it's only about an hour and a half driving to ChCh and we don't have to be out of the park until 10am.
Soon, the sunrise gave way to a nice morning but there are dark clouds looming behind the hills and mountains to the west and it looks very much like rain will be on it's way by the end of the day. How we have timed this weather I don't know but if we make it to ChCh before it comes we shall have, with one exception, enjoyed the perfect weather holiday!
After checking out from the Top 10 we drove on up to the elevated part of town to look down on the
Oh!
do we have to be told? pretty little village of Hanmer Springs. We can see why this is such a popular spot and even the "locals' from places such as ChCh and closer towns on the west coast come here for weekends. Once again, we enjoyed the changing autumn colours of the trees and neat little houses. The town has that "alpine" feel and we were amused that there were lots of shops selling swim ware etc, until we realised that, of course, THE HOT SPRINGS! Imagine coming all the way here and forgetting the bathers!....however they do hire them at the pools.
We found a nice warm coffee shop next to the pub we went to last night. Same friendly service and beautifully presented cake and coffee. A walk around the shops and some very last minute shopping to buy the kids some NZ wool gloves and looked at some scarves but resisted. As always we looked in vain for some novel and interesting locally made gifts but as most stuff is imported we gave up. In one shop of supposedly local crafts we were tempted by a Kea bottle opener but at $20 seemed a bit steep! Looked imported anyhow!
So we
hit the road for the last time. The sky is certainly now looking distinctly darker and a change most certainly coming. The road out of Hanmer Springs towards ChCh is much more straight forward now and after passing Culverden it becomes almost a straight flat highway for miles. Approaching the town of Amberley we were starting to feel like something to eat and pulled into a little bakery on the main road. We had to anyway as there were major road works going on and we were forced to divert into a little shopping complex but it had a bakery. It was starting to get cold and the wind blowing dust off the roadworks made sitting outside unpleasant so we just sat in Crowded House and ate our pies.
While finishing our lunch we noticed outside a really "junky" looking 2nd hand shop and I said to Mary that I really 'must' take a look. Can't resist a 2nd hand shop and this one looked like it had "potential"!
Well, once inside I thought I would never leave. Such a 'collection' of stuff under one roof I haven't seen the likes of before. Will leave the photos to
tell the story. Immediately I zeroed in on the antique clocks and soon had one firmly in my grasp without thinking of how I was going to carry it back to Perth on the plane! The shop owner "assured" me that it would be Ok and carefully bubble wrapped it up and checked it's working and chimes.
The packing of it later at our friends place in ChCh over many wines and beers is another story....as is the last minute dash out to a discount shop to buy another suitcase....but far too much of a story for this blog. The clock made it home intact and now sits on our mantlepiece keeping perfect time and chiming on the hour!
Back in Christchurch, at Rosemary & Geoffs' place we swapped our not so comfortable bunks in the Kea for a lovely cosy warm room in their house. Heaven! Our poor little house on wheels sat outside in their driveway for the night all lonely and unoccupied while we lapped up the warm and generous Kiwi hospitality inside.
Tomorrow Crowded House is to be returned to the Kea depot just down the road and we are then on our
way back home to Perth in Western Australia.
We have been on the road 23 days and done 3200km around the South Is. and have nothing but praise for the warm welcome we have received at all the holiday parks we have stayed at and in shops and on the street. The roads have all been very good and well maintained and we are impressed at how well the motor home travellers are catered for. Well done Kiwis!
HERE ENDETH THIS TRAVEL BLOG.
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Valerie & John
non-member comment
Fantastic!!
So enjoyed your blog, lovely photo's, made us want to make the trip as well. One day.