Ahhhh, hot springs

One good thing about there being lots of volcanic activity is that there are lots of hot springs around. We'd not done the ones at Rotorua mostly due to time and smell. But Hamner had been on the cards for a while and would break up the drive between the wine areas a Franz Josef.


Hanmer Springs was our first rainy stop and it rained continually. A bikie convention had coincided with a mountain bike race (7 hours). but the town was very cute with lots of homemade things made with wool and a fantastic pub/restaurant with a cosy fire. We ate 2 of our 2 meals there and were very happy with the wine and the seafood.

The springs were awesome given the plumeting temperature and rain that had set in. It was unbelieveably busy, so a private room made up for the crowds of kids and families. We then braved the cold outside and smelly sulphur pools to warm up.

Little did we know that more (and far superior pools) were to come.