Hot Pools, Cold Rain

Monday 15 June

The weird winter weather continues - when we woke around 7.30am it was roughly 14*C inside Banjo and out! More like early autumn or late spring! (Ignore the date & time on the screen - we have not worked out how to change it to Kiwi time!)

We had purchased discounted tickets for the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa from BookMe.co.nz so we packed up togs and towels, hopped on our bikes and cycled up to town. I put my power on 2 this time and we whizzed up the road, arriving 5 minutes before the pools opened.

Spent a lovely couple of hours relaxing in various different temperature hot pools, watched as my silver toe rings turned an odd shade of metallic rainbow in the sulphur pools (I'd forgotten to take them off as I usually do) and soothed our grumbly old muscles! With miraculous timing, the rain held off until we hit the changing rooms but sadly did not stop from there on in.

Had a lovely lunch with the sparrows over at the Powerhouse Cafe (again - too good to be bothered trying anywhere else!) - bacon & eggs for him, apple, berry & rhubarb muffin for me. No goldies here today, but we did meet Aretha the Schnauzer - Respect!

Then we zipped up our waterproof jackets and whizzed the 7ish kms back down the road to the NZMCA park - arriving drenched & frozen!🥶 💦

Just look at the wet/dry line down my jeans and the state of my hair!

Everyone else had wisely left by now so we were all on our own. Spent most of the rest of the day trying to dry everything out and warm ourselves up as it was now about 8*C, and the temperatures were still dropping!

Made a yummy fruity korma curry for dinner and finished off season 1 of Downton Abbey - such great comfort viewing!