Hanmer Springs

Hanmer Springs was described to us like Radiator Springs from the movie Cars - one road in, one road out! What peaked our interest though was the description of the mountain trails!  Kyle and I both loved Hanmer Springs and were thrilled to meet up with a crew of kayakers we met while in Abel Tasman.  (They were the ones who we camped next to one night and ended up singing along with the guitar music around the campfire.)

Upon arriving, we played a game of mini-golf...unfortunately I lost to Kyle and had to buy ice cream. Kiwi hospitality strikes again!!  While walking to the mini-golf place, we ran into Ju (or Juliet) who invited Kyle and I to stay with her and Graham (or Grum as they refer to him). Hanmer Springs has a remarkable web of trails for both hiking and mountain biking around the town. In the evening, Kyle went for a run alongside Grum and another friend, Sandy, who were on mountain bikes. After they had returned, we visited the thermal pools which is a main attraction for many tourists.  There are about 15 outdoor hot pools at varying temperatures, a lap pool, and a series of waterslides too.  It was great!

The next day, we went for a hike up Mount Isobel. Here are some photos.