Day 10 - Nelson to Hanmer Springs. Saturday 17th September

First and foremost, happy 53rd birthday to my sister Lisa, she has had a tough couple years health wise, and now she is on the mend.

We rose early looking forward to our breakfast at the same place as yesterday and NO, they don't open till 8:30am on Saturdays - WT?? how do you open 5 days a week at 7:00am and then on the weekends its late... I don't get it.  Nelson - wake up to yourself!!  we finally found a very tiny little alternative coffee/breakfast place.

We had a 4 hour drive to Hanmer Springs, but it took us 7 hours with a few stops for photo's and a coffee.

I wanted to go out to Lake Rotoroa (not Rotorua that is on the north island), and we did the 11km drive out there and beautiful scenery and 10,000,0000,0000 midgies all hanging around us and "peeing" on us, and making us itchy.  But the lake view was lovely.

 Lake Rotoroa

We drove through those lovely mountains and took more photos.  Murchison turned out to be very cute and also industrial but lovely coffee there.

Muruio Waterfalls.

The everything store, Murchison - haven't seen one like this
for many a year.

Up into the mountains from here and snow capped mountains, nothing on the roadside or anything we could get near, but spectacular none the less.




The wifi here is quite slow so will write on and put pictures up when I get a chance. We ended up at Hanmer Springs, around 3pm. It is known for it hot spring baths, public baths at that. We are not into sharing bathing pools at 34-40C with strangers that may well pee in the pools........  Had a walk around town and an ice-cream and headed home for a break.

Had local thai food for dinner, it was delicious!!  Time to down tools and chill a bit, very tired co piloting the busy windy roads.

Home tomorrow afternoon, late afternoon flight and then drive back to Newcastle for work on Monday.