Hanmer Springs

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Before Mindy was to start work we wanted to do a bit of traveling. After doing most of our errands and flat hunting on bike, we knew something with a motor was in order. Instead of paying for an overpriced rental car, we decided to cash in and buy our beater car. On the day that we were scheduled to pick up our 1988 Honda Civic (this time a hatchback), our “Lean Machine” sales rep, Dennis, regretfully informed us that it didn’t pass its “Warrant of Fitness” test. No worries, Dennis had put his best panelbeater to work on “our car”, and without a rental agreement of any sorts loaned us another car for an overnight. Off we ventured towards Hanmer Springs!

Hanmer Springs is most noted for its Thermal Pools and Spa (ahhhh). We soaked in the different pools of water containing minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, sodium chloride, and potassium at temperatures ranging from 28 to 42 degrees Celsius. The sales clerk recommended “Dip between the hot and cold pools for the full therapeutic sensation.” After heeding these wise words, we were fully pruned and definitely wanted to re-hydrate. With damp hair, we moseyed to a local restaurant with good wine and Pavlova, the “apple pie” of New Zealand. It’s a light meringue-like cake with whipped cream, fresh fruits (such as kiwis, strawberries, grapes, and pineapples), and vanilla ice cream.

The wine and dessert set us in the right mood for a blissful night’s sleep on the soft earth. You see, since we had been sleeping on the hard floor of our bedroom, the grassy meadow that we camped at felt like a thick carpet! We woke to a chorus of nearly 1,000 birds singing away (maybe it was only 999 birds, I don’t know, but they were in full session by 5:30 am.) We were happy to be woken by such a lovely sound, and we stretched out of our sleeping bags.

It didn’t take long to pack up, and we were on our way to the Mount Isobel Track. The walk started off with a gradual climb through a Japanese and European Larch forest, planted in 1959. Once we rose above tree line, we marveled at the vast expanse of the Southern Alps. The mountains stretched as far as the eye can see without a building in sight. We felt as though we had the mountain to ourselves: Although the track was well-worn, we only encountered one hiker on the roundtrip journey.

After our morning trek, we bid farewell to Hanmer Springs. As we drove south towards Christchurch, we passed sheep, cattle, and horses grazing in open fields. Hungry for some lunch, we stopped for a picnic on the grounds of the Canterbury House Vineyard. The prospects of wine tasting beckoned us inside the well-manicured chateau. We sniffed, we swirled, we sipped, and we swished. We are no wine experts, but played the part well and really did enjoy ourselves.
Down the road a bit we took in a tasting of a different sort: olives and oil. Just like grapes, olive trees require very warm average temperatures, and cannot tolerate cold below -12 degrees Celsius. The olive tree prospers in very dry climates, and can tolerate droughts and high winds. The Waipara Valley offers these conditions, and in 1998 the Clausen family started harvesting olives for their newfound company, Athena Olive Groves Ltd. The olives are harvested in the winter, and within 48 hours they are ground into a paste, then cold pressed to squeeze the oil out (Olives not pressed immediately begin to oxidise and ferment). The most amazing thing, though, was that for the first time both Bryan and Mindy found these olives to be unlike any other olive tasted before - delicious. In fact, every year Bryan would sample a Christmas olive to see if his taste buds had changed and every year the same result - an unsavory salty bitterness. Energized by this unexpected excursion, we plopped into the loaner and drove the route back to Christchurch, where we’d find our true chariot.

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Photos

Thermal Pools
Water temps from 28-42 degrees.

Athena Olive Grove
Trees had not yet fruited with olives, this happens torwards the very end of summer.

View From Mt. Isobel
A good place for lunch.

The Loaner
Our campsite spot and loaner vehicle. Care to drive anyone?

White Tea Tree
These trees (with the white flowers) will grow up to around 3 meters, and were quite common on the Track. The view is nice too...

Comments

[Penny]

Exciting!
Your trip sounds so exciting so far, and you've just begun. You're going to have such wonderful experiences- I can't wait to hear about them all! -Penny