Hamner Springs

In with the Relatives

It pays to be on your best behaviour when spending time with your partner's family. I didn't really follow my own theory much at all & still managed to get in the good books.

Check my form with a monster piece of Kerri's Mum's Pavlova. It was a good one too! Not as good as my own mother's Pavs of course! Gee it was a good one though.

Here is a nice family portrait, but it isn't my family (yet)! Pictured left to right:- back row - Yours truly, Pat Barrott (Kerri's Dad); front row - Kerri, Iris Stevenson (Kerri's grandmother), Jeanette Barrott (Kerri's Mum).

A spot of mini golf before heading back to Christchurch.

This photo is of Frog Rock (can you see it?) You see it along on the road to Hanmer Springs. The rock even has its own railway station!

Hamner Springs

Kerri's parents took us up to Hanmer Springs for two nights. Hanmer Springs is about an hour and a half's drive north of Christchurch. Apparently it has become a bit touristy these days (it has a bit of a Queenstown feel to it).
Geothermal activity brings hot water to the surface from the water table. They filter it and pipe it into man made pools.

There are about a dozen pools of varying temperatures. The coldest are about 28 deg C & the hottest are 39. You can go pool hopping or just stay there & turn into a prune. It is really quite nice on a cold day (or night).

Hanmer Springs sits at the foot of conical hill. It's not a huge mountain, but it takes about 45 mins casual walk to get up there. The view's not bad.

This bridge/ravine is the focus of yet another NZ adrenaline sports centre. You can Bungee jump, jet boat, white water raft, quad bike or off road go cart. The river in picture is the Hanmer River.

Noah (below) is Kerri's Mum's dog. He's the dog you have when you don't really have a dog. I have copped a bunch of abuse for taking the piss out of the mop, but it has been so worth it!