KEY POINTS:
The Maruia Springs thermal pools have been on my to-do list for years, since a friend described the surreal experience of a hot soak surrounded by snow.
It's not hard to imagine this, even in summer, as our car snakes towards the blink-and-you-miss-it resort tucked high on the Lewis Pass.
The peaks are shrouded in mist, which at times swirls down through the alpine beech forest canopy. Our windscreen wipers clear the damp as we wind upward on the main road cut from dense mountain bush between Christchurch and Nelson. At certain times of the year, snow is often an added extra to the other-worldly atmosphere.
By the time we spy the sign for the resort, it's easy to sense its early incarnation as an accommodation house and watering hole fallen on with relief by travellers through this awe-inspiring but lonely terrain. As roads improved and cars sped up in the second half of last century, there was less reason to stop at this South Island mid-point and Maruia Springs fell into disrepair.
Now there's reason to not only stop - but to stay - the springs have been given a Japanese-style makeover and compared with the family-friendly hurly burly of the hot pools at Hanmer Springs, they provide a zen-like opportunity to bathe peacefully in clear mountain air.
Skiers, trampers or weary travellers looking to break a trip could do little better than stay over to soak away their cares. For those looking for no more than a stop for a quick cuppa, there's the opportunity to gain a toehold on the real bathing deal. An ashi-yu (footbath) has been set up on the hotel terrace where visitors can kick back with a drink and a warming wiggle. Handily, resort managing director Takako Ogino, have been able to tap into family knowledge to transform the baths from manky to magical as Takako's father owns leading hot springs in Japan.
The family recognised the beauty of the spot back in 1991 when they bought it, after being swayed - in true Japanese style - as much for its aesthetic value as for its thermal properties. The waters though are considered to have healing properties, being high in mineral and sulphur content, said to be help detoxify and soften skin.
Outdoor hot pools, honed from smooth rocks made for sitting and soaking, are surrounded by native grasses. A utase-yu (waterfall) shower spills a trickle of warm water on to the backs of seated bathers and, for the stoic, there's a reviving cold plunge pool.
Being chemical free, the waters' colour palette changes daily.
The only fly in the ointment of this naturalness is the sandflies and, thankfully, the resort carries a good stock of insect repellent to keep the little biters at bay. You'll need it, especially around dusk.
Indoor pools offer protection, and have fly screens on their wide windows so they can open to the breeze. There are four private spa-type baths, each in their own hut, with toilet and showers and large communal stone-floored male and female bath houses.
The resort's Japanese experience extends to optional Japanese meals some nights of the week in the Shuzan restaurant. After traditional entrees, a hotpot is set up on your table, where your chosen meats, seafood or vegetables simmer to readiness in front of you.
Resort staff are a mix of Japanese and locals and the cross-cultural element adds interest in such an out-of-the-way location.
Takako Ogino and her friendly director Akira Matushita both divide their time between the resort and their respectives homes in Christchurch. He pilots helicopters and she rides a Harley Davidson so they whiz back and forth in style. Takako Ogina has plans to further develop the resort, but sees the domestic market as every bit as important as attracting overseas tourists.
The resort's chef has travelled to Japan and is introducing some fusion elements into his cooking, but also serves a mean steak or chicken meal in the restaurant, which is entered over a gracefully curved bridge.
This food variety is another reason to give the resort a bit more time to work its quiet wonder. To enhance the relaxation factor, massages are also available. A central bar area and lounge offers pub-style snacks and is a good place to chat to other guests and catch up on the television news and sports or the internet, as the tidy motel-style rooms are not connected.
The rooms have small balconies that - like the tranquil restaurant with its giant picture window - look across the river terrace and up to dramatic peaks.
Most stays are overnight, but a weekend allows the sampling of all the bathing and dining options. Trips to the nearest towns of Reefton, Murchison or Hanmer Springs are about an hour each way and each has historic and scenic appeal and a range of leisure activities. A pedestrian swing bridge over the Buller Gorge is worth the detour.
Friendly local reception staff pointed us towards some gentle short walks to nearby waterfalls, although for hardcore trampers there are plenty of tougher trails to try.
Or you can just sit and soak up the springs' air.
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GETTING THERE
Maruia Springs, 5.8km west of Lewis Pass, is three hours from Christchurch on SH7 or on SH65 from Nelson and two hours from Greymouth. There are several buses a day.
WHILE YOU'RE THERE
A fishing guide, lunchbox, and drop-off and pick-up at Lewis Pass walkways can be arranged.
ACCOMMODATION
Indulgence package for two (includes Asian fusion or European-style dinner, a cooked breakfast and a 30-minute massage) is $349 weekdays and $379 weekends. Mountain-view room: off-peak $179, peak $199 for two and garden-view units $20 less.
POOLS ONLY
Adult $15, child (12 and under) $8, family (2 adults, 3 children) $40; private spa $25 each for 45mins.
More information: Ph 03-523-8840,
email info@maruiasprings.co.nz, or visit www.maruia.co.nz
