We spent yesterday in Hanmer (spelled correctly I might add) Springs, home of thermal springs for the south island. It also has, as does everyplace in NZ, any number of walks & trails to take. Judy & I had our picture taken at the top of the hill on the edge of town just as proof that we actually made it to the top (a walk steeper and longer than we had envisioned!). Of course a good walk also gives you an excuse to "take the baths" and, if you're like Judy, enjoy one of their massages (it's a wonder we were able to peel her off the table once it was over, she was so relaxed!) We are all, of course, completely rejuven
ated!).
The town runs the baths and they do a very good job of it with several different soaking pools of different temperatures and different levels of minerals. We did most of them and John even joined the kids in the water slide portion (now we know where to send him every few years for a "redo").
Today we stopped at New Zealand's longest swinging foot bridge. I'm the one that's afraid of heights but this didn't bother me at all, I guess because the wire rope hand holds on either side were plenty study. John, however, was petrified and almost didn't do it. He's such a card that the rest of us had a hard time taking him seriously. (It took a couple of beers at the local hotel to set him right again!) I was even up for taking the chair swing back across the gorge (look to the right of the bridge in the photo to see someone just starting across) but $20 for a 15 second ride was too steep for my blood plus there was a 50/50 chance we might have to carry John back across....Back on terra firma the John's are gearing up to do a bit more trout fishing. We'll see if we eat tonight or not...
