Tuesday we left the Top 10 Campsite, feeling very clean, and did the Conical Hill walk through Pine Forests for a good view of Hanmer and the surrounding mountains. We met up again with a couple , he from Austria and she from Korea, who Len had talked to at Marble Hill. They are here, travelling round for 2 years, and hope to get residency.
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| View from Conical Hill top |
After lunch we went to the Hot Springs for which we had been given a 2 for 1 voucher by some other campers so it only cost us $18 for as long as you want in the various pools. So we had a very relaxing couple of hours moving from pool to pool - some placid pools, some therapeutic with good strong jets and of course the smelly sulphur pools - all great. The temperatures over all the pools range from 35 - 42 but we also had a swim in the tepid laned pool. It was a little cloudy overhead so we found it cold when walking between the pools - we just had to make sure that we kept drinking lots of water while we stayed in them!
Afterwards we enjoyed a hydrating glass of Montieths at the Monteiths Bar & Cafe before driving back to the NZMCA camp just south of Hanmer - our 3rd night there. We had a great sleep after the pools as we were so relaxed! And I hadn't even felt the need for that massage I had been promising myself! Will just save it up for another time!
Today we drove through the lovely valley by the turquoise Waiau river to the Amuri Golf Course which is just north of Rotherham and played 18 holes on their 9 hole course - they do have different tees for the second nine however. Again, the course is in a basin surrounded by the distant mountains - the scenery is so awesome down here. The Amuri Club only has about 60 members and you wonder how the courses survive - the fairways were a little like a cut hay paddock but the greens were springy and manageable.
The land is very dry all around this area, virtually ever since we left Nelson. There is vast sprinkler irrigation everywhere and the paddocks that aren't irrigated are really just dry stalks, like the golf course fairways. And its not even summer yet although we have had some lovely hot days recently.
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| Relaxing after a long drive (22km)! |
There are probably only about 6 vehicles here (miles away from us) at the moment but apparently they do get busy over the holidays. Just $5 for a family to stay and there are toilets and fresh water.
We had a walk down to the river and linked up with a young guy, with dreads and barefeet, and one of his dogs. (He has two). He has "been on the road" for 15 years so maybe he's in his late 30s - he "lives off the land", no benefit, and has always just walked the South Island with his dogs which he loves. Two years ago he was given a malnourished "5 year old gelding" which turned out to be a 3 year old stallion and it is now in good condition, as we found when we met up with it at the river where he has been staying the last few days. He showed us the good swimming hole a bit further up the river but we're not quite sure yet if we'll do that! The water felt a little nippy! Anyway "Indiana Jones" now travels with his horse and 2 dogs. Last week he gave horse rides at the local A&P show and was rapt because he made $50 and was able to get a lot of apples for himself and the horse. I just so wish that I had had my camera with me - these different moments are quite special and we would so much like to know more about his background and what happened in his life that he ended up on the road. Perhaps we will meet up with him again tomorrow and I can get that precious photo!
Len has made a delicious chilli mince and nacho dish so it's now time to eat!
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