StreetscapeNZ - 75

Amuri Avenue

Hanmer Springs, Hurunui

February 2010, Ajr

Throwing Yourself Off a Bridge

My fear of heights is well documented on this blog. Basically, I'm a pathetic wimp who hates high places - especially when there's water down below. It's not the water I'm afraid of though - it's the ridiculous distance you have to fall to get to it. So it was with great relief that I arrived at Thrillseekers Bungy not too many weeks after leg surgery and therefore had a very valid excuse for not jumping off the 135 year old, 35-metre high bridge that spans the pretty Waiau River near Hanmer Springs.

I've been offered numerous free bungy jumps in the course of researching and writing the travel guide, Frommers New Zealand and suffice to say, I have politely declined them all. I did however, on a previous occasion, manage to get out to the centre jump-off point on this bridge. That felt like a real achievement to me but the management did not think me brave enough to warrant the T-shirt. On this visit, I was happy to stand on a distant bank and capture the action on film. That's much more my style - I just wasn't as fast as I could have been. One observation I did make though - for anyone nervous about taking their first bungy jump, the Thrillseekers bungy is the perfect choice. At just 35-metres it's a mild and manageable introduction to the fine art of throwing yourself off a bridge. Compare it for instance, to the grand-daddy of New Zealand bungy jumps, Queentown's Nevis Highwire at 134 metres. I won't of course, be taking my own advice. I fully intend to spend the rest of my life with my feet firmly on the ground - except when I'm lying comfortably in bed of course. www.thrillseekers.co.nz

Have Jet, Will Scream

When you're racing toward a rock wall at 90 kilometres per hour in just 6 inches of water, you can be forgiven for screaming.

That's the deal when you leap aboard the Thrillseekers Jet, near Hanmer Springs. Me? I'm a speed junkie, so I ALWAYS love jet boats. They make so much more sense to me than throwing yourself off a bridge attached to a bungy cord...... but more about that in a day or two.

In my role as the writer of the travel guide Frommers New Zealand, I've been lucky enough to enjoy many jet boat rides. It's part of the job after all. But until recently, I'd never taken the Thrillseekers Jet up the very pretty Waiau River. The ride itself may not be as dramatic as some I've been on but our driver was terrific and the scenery stunning. I love the South Island's braided rivers and there's something awe-inspiring and unbelieveable about boats that skim across just a few inches of water. You can literally look over the edge and see the river bottom. And then there's the famous 360-degree spin - a feature of jetboat technology...technology I might add, that was invented in New Zealand. If you were ever sitting there thinking it was all too easy, then the spin is sure to wake you up in a hurry. www.thrillseekers.co.nz

Rafting Down the River

If you're about to visit New Zealand - or even if you live here - and you want to test yourself on one of our famous outdoor adventures, then head for the little alpine town of Hanmer Springs in the Hurunui and Thrillseekers Rafting. This mild-mannered Grade 2 adventure is the perfect answer for those of you who are not quite ready for a nail-biting, teeth-gritting Grade 5 white water adventure.

Located near the historic bridge that takes you into Hanmer itself, Thrillseekers is a one-stop shop for adventure freaks and the rafting is a soft option that takes you gently up the Waiau River. When I say 'gently' I should point out that you do have to paddle, so expect to get a bit of a sweat up. But on the way, you can marvel at beautiful landscapes, jagged rock, cliff faces, water holes and the general beauty that has made this region famous - and a popular year-round holiday destination. You'll be in the company of experienced guides too, so no need to panic about anything. Simply grab your paddle and enjoy the journey. And if you want to check out a wider itinerary for this area, check here. www.thrillseekers.co.nz

An Alpine Indulgence

Luxuries for the Body

AlpineAqua

Exclusive to Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa

Skincare to Die For

www.hanmersprings.co.nz

A Place to Stay

I don't know about anyone else but if I'm looking for a quiet, peaceful retreat, I go somewhere...well...quiet and peaceful. Braemar Lodge & Spa, tucked away on the brow of a hill, down a quiet, gravel road about ten minute's drive from Hanmer Springs, is such a place. You'd never know it was there if you hadn't been told.

There's been a lodge of some description on the site for years - at least a decade or more - but this latest incarnation opened 18 months ago after a $20-million upgrade. To my mind, the architecture is less than inspiring. It looks a little like a concrete block apartment block But the views across the Hanmer basin to the village are quite something and the huge rooms are priced for incredible value. The bathrooms alone are almost the size of some tiny hotel rooms. Each of the 24 suites also has its own hot tub on a private balcony; and the double Vichy shower and enormous, high-tech spa bath inside are luxuries to be reckoned with - in more ways than one. It took me ten minutes to figure out how to use the shower and only then courtesy of a blast of freezing cold water.

But when dinner the night before has been such a culinary triumph, I'm prepared to excuse a bit of high-tech mumbo-jumbo. After all, much of that probably comes down to my own technological ineptitude. Braemar has had the good sense to hire Michelin-trained, South African executive chef, Nikki Brown, who presented us with a meal fit for a king. Highly decorative and divine tasting, I'd go to Braemar again on the strength of it. Altitude Restaurant itself is a little cavernous and lacking in atmosphere but who cares when you're well fed? Overall Braemar Lodge is incredible value for money. What it lacks in imaginative architecture is more than compensated for by the size and quality of rooms, by its serene rural location and its first rate cuisine. It's a great spot for a weekend getaway. www.selectbraemarlodge.com

A Day at the Springs

If you've never been to Hanmer Springs you might wonder what draws close to 500,000 people to this dreamy little village set amid 13,000 hectares of exotic forest, 380 metres above sea level. Tucked beneath Mt Isabel, its streets are quiet and it's hard to believe that on any given day, the usual permanent population of around 865 can swell to over 4,000 people.

Invariably you'll find them steaming themselves silly at Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa, the promotional flagship of the increasingly busy Hurunui district and the appropriately-billed Alpine Pacific Triangle that forms a neat pleasure-filled shape that includes the thriving Waipara Wine District, Kaikoura's marine attractions and Hanmer's thermal pools. Now one of the most visited tourist destinations in the South Island, Hanmer Springs has a long history of attracting attention - right back in 1859 in fact, William Jones observed "a remarkable fog" near a well-used walking track and went to investigate. There he found seven circular pools, the largest 7-8 yards across. Even then early settlers had pleasure on their minds, eyeing up the pools as a potential health resort; but it wasn't until 1878 when John Fry built a dressing shed by the main pool that things got moving and the trickle of visitors began to grow. By 1879 regular coach services to the pools had begun and in 1883, the pools were officially opened with James Stewart as the first caretaker. Today it's a whole new ball game. The 14-pool complex is nationally and internationally recognised as one of the finest thermal resorts in the country. Last year's $4-million expansion plan - the third in just over a decade - saw the addition of more thermal pools, large landscaped picnic areas, conference facilities and an international-class day spa facility focused around water-based massage and beauty treatments. Flushed with the success of the new facility, they're about to embark on yet another expansion - an $8.5-million project that will re-develop a block of land purchased from the owners of the adjacent and now-disused Queen Mary Hospital. This will include a new freshwater pool and a new slide attraction. The site of the existing freshwater pool will be converted into three giant jacuzzi pools featuring waterfalls. They expect to have it all completed by 2011. I visited the new Day Spa complex - complete with new private pools - a couple of weekends ago and I have to say it's an excellent addition to an already-popular attraction. There was a steady stream of white-robed visitors - male and female - lining up for little luxuries in one of the thirteen new treatment rooms. Body wraps (the chocolate wrap is a special indulgence), deep tissue and relaxation massage, facials, manicures, Vichy massage, skin treatments and reflexology - they're all there. All you have to do is lie back in their quiet, tranquil environment and let the experts transport you into the realms of pleasure. And don't for one minute think this is just for the girls. I was amazed at the number of men visiting the day spa. And who could blame them? It's a sign of the times perhaps, as more and more people treat themselves to the pleasures of New Zealand day spas. Hence the formation of Best Spas of New Zealand, a selection of the country's top spas - Chuan Spa, Auckland; Bliss Reflexology,Auckland; Polynesian Spa, Rotorua; Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa; and The Spa at Millbrook in Queenstown - ensuring you can be indulged from one end of the country to another. If you'd like to look at a possible itinerary to better plan your visit to Hanmer Springs, check here. www.hanmersprings.co.nz

An Afternoon Photo Spot.

Pearls

Glowing

At a Wine Tasting

February 2010 Ajr

One Tree

On a Hill

Thrillseeker's Canyon

Hanmer Springs

February 2010. Ajr