Arrived in Hamner Springs this afternoon after a great lunch at the Maruia River Lodge followed by a torrential rain storm as we crossed Lewis Pass. As luck would have it there were some 4 wheel drive tracks near out hotel. As we happened to have a 4x4 we thought that we'd give them a go. Went up Jack's Pass and back down Jollies Pass. Some fairly dramatic scenery and road conditions as you can see. Also spotted a hare and a few birds of prey. We might need to clean the little truck before it goes back (unless we have more rain). Just don't tell Hertz!
(If we were here between January and March we could have driven 170 kms off-road via the Molesworth Track, from Blenheim to Hamner Springs - perhaps next time).
Finished the day with a visit to the thermal pools, which the town is famous for.
Staying at the Alpine Lodge Hotel, our favourite so far in NZ.