Hanmer Springs

Well, shucks you guys, this seems like forever ago. I should really keep up with this better. I'll do my best to provide an accurate account. I just fill in the blanks with made up stories--not different than usual. Also, I'm trying a new format where the text about the pictures isn't necessarily near the picture itself. Some may call it lazy, I'm calling it innovative.

Lauren, Mike, Dan and I set out in the Death Trap--Mike and Dan's new car. We were headed to Sue's childhood stomping ground,

Hanmer Spring--a smallish town best known for its thermal hotsprings. The original plan was to go camping. This was quickly dashed with the realization that not one of us had a tent nor did we have access to a tent that would sleep more than one of us--we're a tight knit group, but even we have limits. Instead we found a backpackers (what we would call a hostel) that offered us basically our own cabin for NZ$60 a night for all four of us. How could we pass that up? We even got our own private kitchenette that I made home-made "real" Mac&Cheese in. Yes, I am that good.

Prior to that, however, we decided to check out the local cuisine. We found Monteith's, a place with high-quality beer and solid desserts. I experienced a banouffle tart (or somthing like that) which was a heavenly combination of both banana and chocolate. One simply shouldn't be allowed to be without the other, as well as what amounted to shark vomit. While most sharks are welcome to puke in a bowl for me at any given time, this seafood chowder had mussels in it. I have since learned that

however badly I want to like mussels, it's just never going to happen.

Back tracking a bit, on the way from the "cabin" to town, we hiked on some pretty nifty paths through "the woods" and found some pretty baller mushrooms. I know very little about mushrooms, but I would say that these are the same kind as in the Mario games that make your character's size go up (or, if you're racing, give you a temporary speed boost). Either way, they were highly photogenic, and exciting to see. They were everywhere!

Ok, back to Saturday. Saturday we intended to sit in hotsprings and do nothing with our lives. We were incredibly sucessful in this endeavor. First, though, we found the town market, complete with traditionally dressed german folk dancing around to accordion music and banging sticks together. It was wonderful to watch and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Oh! While we're next to this picture, I managed to photograph a Tomtit--a native, and fairly rare native New Zealand bird. Kind of a like the fantail in that it sort of fills the chickadee niche,

but they're far less gregarious. Cute little guys, though, eh?

So, the Springs. There are no pictures of the Springs because I felt awkward taking pictures of the old, the foreign, the honey-mooning, and the decrepid sitting around in their swimming suits and various other states of undress. There were women walking around very nakedly in the changing rooms. Call me a prude, but really, I don't think that degree of nudity is carried out in public changing rooms in the US. Definitely and innapropriate place to be snapping photos. The Springs, too. However, they were lovely and soothing and sulfur-y stinky. The sun shone throughout the day and we found our way into pools that were only 26C and pools that were 40C. Scientists may argue that 100C is the temperature at which water boils. In my experience, I believe that it is closer to 40C. I did not stay in that pool very long.

At long last and with great reluctance, it was time to head back

to Chch. Given the less than sober state of the initial drivers, I offered to drive. It was then decided that we stop at every winery and microbrewery on the way back home--a "booze cruise" I guess the kids call it. We made it to one--Brew Moon Cafe. It was lovely and brilliantly done, very Earthy, but still warm. We ended up staying there for several hours while the boys sampled what the place had to offer, and buying Lauren and I coffees and smoothies to keep us from leaving without them. It was a good time and fun, deep, goofy conversations where had and silly songs were created and sung. The waitstaff was very tolerant, or perhaps, they even liked us. Finally, we ended our trip in Christchurch, arriving back around 10pm--only six hours later than we had intended. It was a much needed and well done excursion from the city. And we saw a pig farm.

<-- Deathtrap with all of our stuff