The thermal hot pools are the main attraction at Hanmer Springs but the pretty alpine town has plenty of breathtaking scenery that will impress visitors to the area. Photo / Supplied
The thermal hot pools are the main attraction at Hanmer Springs but the pretty alpine town has plenty of breathtaking scenery that will impress visitors to the area. Photo / Supplied
A visit to the thermal hot pools at Hanmer Springs should be an essential stop on any South Island road trip, writes Winston Aldworth.
When I was a kid, Hanmer Springs was where old soaks went to dry out.
At the South Island's premier retreat for those needing a break from the bottle, the waters of the thermal springs were thought to mend the damaged alcoholic's spirit. Or at least help a little in the process.
These days, Hanmer is still focused on soaks - but mostly it's about really long ones.
We spent two glorious days resting our joints in the waters. As a family of four with two little kids, we're very much Hanmer's new market.
Like many parents with two children we've found that the two of them are very different characters - the older sister is all-go; her brother, the chillest dude you'll ever meet.
The waters of Hanmer brought Zoe down to Baxter's level. The B-Man was in his element. This is a place to blob. To knock the wind out of even the most energetic kid.
Our two summoned up enough momentum to give the play area a good workout. Over there, it's all waterslides, fizzing fountains and splashtastic pools of mayhem. Me? I'd rather be over there blobbing - like one of those monkeys you see photographed in wildlife magazines, happily nestled in a steaming hot pool of magic.
All this resting and relaxing can be an arduous business. We signed up for a massage in the resort's spa room, but mostly we minced from pool to pool, checking the heat, finding the temperatures that suited best and always making a bigger deal than is really necessary of the decision to dash for a new pool.
There we'd join the weird little community of people up to their chins in relaxation. It's an odd thing, a hot pool - we're all basically taking a big bath together.
I love hot pools. Love the things.
Once you're done soaking, you could try a spot of bungy jumping, jetboating or kayaking. Photo / Supplied
We New Zealanders have a mixed relationship with thermal springs. Parts of the country - Rotorua and Hanmer, primarily - are synonymous with them. Rotorua's bubbling mud features on tourism brochures that we scatter to the four corners of the Earth. And yet we're more likely to recommend these spots to visitors from abroad than dip our toes ourselves.
Last year, a writer from the Guardian newspaper asked people on Twitter for recommendations about what to do on a short visit to New Zealand. She got hundreds of responses. Broadly, they fell into two categories: those from Kiwis and those from foreigners who had visited here. And - broadly - it was the foreigners who recommended she find a thermal pool in which to soak.
Kiwis recommended vineyards, skiing, beaches, cafes in Wellington, that sort of thing. Not hot springs.
Sometimes, you miss the obvious beauty under your nose.
A visit to Hanmer Springs is a key component of a South Island road trip. Photo / Supplied
Few Aucklanders make it to Hanmer, and that's a crying shame. In recent years, they've had a heap of visitors from Christchurch - folk getting a well-deserved, long-weekend break from dealing with the hassles of post-quake living. But foreign visitors - lots of Aussies, Brits and continental Europeans mainly, with Chinese visitors on the rise - are the mainstay of the South Island's beautiful tourist hotspots.
Why so few Aucklanders? We bang on about seeing your own country before you leave home. As you might have heard, it's kind of a beautiful country, you lazy Jafa, you.
For my money, a visit to Hanmer is a key component of the South Island road trip that is both the birthright and the civic duty of all North Islanders.
It's been a sanatorium and a centre for the rehabilitation of soldiers from World War I. It's nice to think of the old soldiers resting their bodies in these waters.
The Queen Mary Hospital, which was the South Island's leading centre for treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics was closed in 2003.
It seems a tricky mix. After a long soak in a hot pool, I can think of few things nicer than a cool, crisp beer. In the old days, I could have been stuck in Hanmer forever.
Who knows? It could even be that there's something true in the science of the hot springs.
'It's an odd thing, a hot pool - we're all basically taking a big bath together.' Photo / Supplied
Maybe warm water with a touch of sulphur does ease arthritis, make it easier to quit the bottle or forget the horrors of the Western Front. For my money, it's more simple than that: It's just bloody nice.
We're simple creatures, and whatever your pain, you forget when you feel warm and happy. There's nothing to do in Hanmer. Well, nothing for me to do.
Visitors around here can mountain bike, bungy jump, kayak, take to the nearby skifields or tour the vineyards of Waipara.
Graeme Abbot is general manager of the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa where 65 per cent of customers come from Christchurch, 10 per cent are from the rest of New Zealand and the others are internationals.
When Graeme has visitors to stay, he'll ensure they enjoy a good soak in those thermal waters. But he'll also encourage them to walk to the top of Conical Hill. "It is a gentle walk of about 20 minutes and at the top you look across the basin.
"We've also got 60km of mountain biking and walking tracks in the nearby forests. From absolutely flat, big, wide avenues to climbing up Mt Isobel for serious trampers, whatever their fitness level, there is a track for them."
At Thrillseekers, visitors can jet boat, bungy jump, clay-bird shoot, white-water raft or ride in inflatable kayaks down the Waiau River.
"We have a large number of cafes and restaurants and I would suggest people have a coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet that is Hanmer Springs. I have written on my board in Italian 'Dolce far niente' ... it is sweet to do nothing. And that is a fair bit of what Hanmer Springs is about. It's not just for outdoors people, the city folk from Christchurch and Auckland are very comfortable when they are here. You are in the middle of a forest but you are safe.
"For those who are more active, they can drive to St James or Molesworth stations ... there are mountain biking, walking and tramping tracks. It is beautiful there, spectacular. The Crown has bought that for New Zealanders to enjoy these high country stations. You can do those things yourself or there is a very good operator in Hanmer Springs who operates backcountry tours. There is part of the national cycle trail there as well."
- Donna McIntyre
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Hanmer Springs is a 90-minute drive northwest of Christchurch.
Flying to Christchurch with Jetstar has never been easier with up to 7 direct flights a day! Plus you can add Avis or Budget car hire when you book, so you can start exploring the South Island as soon as you touch down. To book your South Island adventure, visit Jetstar.com
Places to stay with Booking.com
If you're planning on taking the family to Hanmer Springs Booking.com offers the widest variety of accommodation options to suit your holiday and budget.
Whether you're looking for luxury accommodation, such as the Heritage Hotel or prefer a lodge, motor inn or B&B such as Annerleigh Luxury Bed and Breakfast, Booking.com allows you to book anytime, anywhere via your mobile, tablet or desktop. If it's a last minute trip you're planning, you can download the Booking Now app, which enables you to find your preferred accommodation option within 48 hours of your stay, perfect for those spontaneous getaways. As with most properties on Booking.com, you don't pay until you stay! Visit Booking.com for your accommodation needs.
LOW COST: Forest Peak Motel - perfectly positioned to explore Hanmer Springs' forest walks and mountain bike trails, Forest Peak Motel offers chalets and apartments.
MEDIUM: Greenacres Alpine Chalets and Villas - set in quiet, green surroundings with panoramic views over Hanmer Valley, there is a choice of spacious self-contained chalets and apartments.
LUXURY: Heritage Hanmer Springs is set among mature trees and surrounded by the Southern Alps. This beautifully restored local landmark has been transformed into a resort with outdoor swimming pool, tennis and petanque courts.
Go to Booking.com to view these properties and more.
