Methven is the site of a glitzy new thermal spa: Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa.
Photo / Lisa Gane
Methven is the site of a glitzy new thermal spa: Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa.
Photo / Lisa Gane
Can the mid-Canterbury ski village of Methven reinvent itself as a year-round destination? Jessica Wynne Lockhart certainly thinks so.
The first time I heard about Methven was shortly after I’d moved to New Zealand. I was at a party with some Methven farmers in attendance, and they were more than eager to regal me with tales of their hometown.
“There’s the brown pub and the blue pub,” they enthused.
It seemed that this was what the townies deemed most pertinent to know the alpine community at the foot of the Mount Hutt skifield in Mid Canterbury. And I’ll be honest; from that description alone, I felt like I deeply understood the lay of the land. I, too, grew up in a rural two-pub town, where distances are best measured in how long it takes to stumble from point A to point B (or, more accurately, from pub A to pub B).
So, when I learned that Methven was going to be the site of a glitzy new thermal spa, I struggled to reconcile what I thought I knew of the town with its emerging reputation as a wellness destination. Could Methven ever truly be more than ski and party town?
It’s late November when I finally find myself submerged in the warm waters at Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa. The solar-powered facility is just days away from celebrating its first full year in operation, with local businesses already reporting positive flow-on effects. Case in point: To meet demand, Ski Time, the lodge where I spend the night, has decided to remain open over Christmas for the first time in 35 years.
Relax in the warm waters at Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa. Photo / Lisa Gane
But while Ōpuke — a stunning facility with a dedicated adults-only area, starlit grottos, private hot tubs, a lazy river, and a swim-up bar— is motivating people to make the 1.25-hour drive from Christchurch, I wonder if there’s enough to keep them here in the off-season.
I find my answer on the other side of the Rakaia River’s brilliant blue braids at Fable Terrace Downs. The renowned golf course’s perfectly manicured greens spread out towards the blue-grey visage of Mount Hutt, which still has traces of snow at its top. But I’m not here to play a civilised round of golf. I’m here to blow things up.
At the clubhouse, I’m met by the owners of Newzengland, Neil Gubby and Sandra Walker. We follow their springer spaniel, Ted, through a stand of tall pine trees to the top of a field, where Gubby hands me earplugs and a gun. Sure, you can try clay shooting in countless places across the country—but only here can you learn from an expert who used to teach at London’s Royal Berkshire Shooting School. Under Gubby’s tutelage, it’s not long before I’m knocking clays out of the air. This? This is the Methven I always envisioned.
Clay breaking at Newzengland. Photo / Supplied
Afterwards, I head to Lowes Cutting on the banks of the Rakaia, which is the home of DIRT Bandits, another relatively new attraction. The course is where you can experience the power of a Can-Am Maverick X3, a UTV capable of reaching speeds of 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
Like Gubby, owner Peter Summers is an expert at his craft. From the passenger seat, I watch him manoeuvre the machine with precision, and just a touch of mayhem.
“I recommend you keep your mouth closed,” he jokes as we zoom forward.
We hit jumps and fly across fields, sheep darting frantically out of our way, mud coating my goggles and lips. (At least I hope it’s mud?) Never mind though, because minutes later the cool waters of the Rakaia are splashing up, bathing me new and clean again. It’s the ultimate adrenaline rush, and one of the only places in the country to experience it is in Methven.
Summers, surprised by my silence, asks if I’m okay.
“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I find this strangely meditative,” I say.
Summers laughs. My reaction, clearly, is not the norm.
“Well, Methven is becoming known as a spa destination. Maybe we can add this to the list of therapies?” he suggests.
He might be on to something. After all, people pay a lot more to get coated in mud, including at Ōpuke, where one of the treatments involves clay sourced from nearby Lake Coleridge.
Night time bliss at Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa. Photo / Hazel Redmond
It only takes me 24 hours to see that while Methven is finally taking its rightful place as a year-round destination, it hasn’t got too big for its cowboy boots. Yes, you can sink deeply into a serene spa experience, gazing out at the mountains with a glass of bubbly in hand. But you can also celebrate the country town for its very Methven-ness — even before you place a foot in The Blue Pub or The Brown Pub.
