Today it was time for us to relax, after a hectic 3 days of watching videos! After breakfast and internet time, we parked up in town and paid the $18 each (£9) to get into Hanmer Springs Pools, plus $10 each so we could go on the water slides! Inside is a range of relaxing pool - from aquatherapy pools (35°c) to rock mineral pools (35°c+) and the steaming hot sulphur pools (45°c+!). There are also normal pools to relax in, plus a lane pool for swimming in, and a lazy river, all with a view of the forest and mountains! For kids, there is a kids pool plus 3 water slides (which we also enjoyed!). It was a lovely, 22°c day which we spent relaxing in the different pools, and sunbathing - didn't think we'd be doing much of that in NZ! The water slides were lots of fun too, although I wasn't too keen on the 'black hole' slide! Our favourite was the 'super bowl' slide, which we first discovered at a water park while on holiday in Malia. You go down it in a tyre, and end up going round and round a big bowl, like a sink, before going down the plughole! We spent all day at the pools, getting our monies worth, and were very relaxed by the time we left.

Then it was time to leave Hanmer Springs, and drive our last long-ish journey of our time in NZ, back towards Christchurch where we will fly to Australia in a few days time. This last drive was very scenic, and reminded me a lot of the LOTR films I've been forced to watch! We'll really miss the stunning scenery here, along with a lot of other things. NZ has definitely made an impact on both of us and we'll definitely be back one day!

Our campsite for the night was just North of Christchurch…and was a bit of a dump! Luckily, it was still sunny, so we hung our swimming gear on the washing line, and cooked our tea in the questionable kitchen. We were pleased to discover a TV room, but were soon disappointed when we found that neither of the 2 TVs worked properly! Dave managed to pick up 2 more Stephen King books from the library, so he was happy!

Back in van, we read for a while before going to sleep early, tired out from our day of relaxation!