Hanmer Springs

When we spent two and a half weeks touring around New Zealand three years ago, we spent our first night in Hanmer Springs. We really enjoyed our initial New Zealand experience in this charming little mountain town and took full advantage of the relaxing hot springs. In the three years since we last visited, Hanmer Springs has grown and become quite exclusive. The amount of smart new houses that have cropped up is stunning. We shouldn’t be surprised though, given the serene surroundings, popular hot pools, and the recent growth of the New Zealand economy. Again, we took full advantage of the now somewhat crowded, hot springs.

Unfortunately, we didn’t fill up on diesel before we left Kaikoura for Hanmer Springs. We were sure there would be several petrol stations in Hanmer Springs. We were wrong. We pulled into the only petrol station in the area on a Saturday evening at 6:30 pm. Diesel is usually $1.32 per liter, but at the Hanmer Springs station it was $1.48 per liter! There’s no other station for almost one hundred kilometers. We were on empty and needed to fill up. We pulled up to the diesel pump, removed the hose and attempted to refuel. The pump didn’t turn on, so I walked toward the shop. When I saw the desperate look on the other customer’s face and saw that the lights were off inside the shop, I realized that the station was closed. Now I knew why they looked so desperate. They’ll either be staying in Hanmer Springs, or somewhere between here and where they run out of gas, whether they planned to or not.

Fortunately we had our caravan and were only planning to leave the next day. The other unlucky customers were not as blessed. They wouldn’t pull into what’s probably the most expensive petrol station in New Zealand if they weren’t already on empty. Now they had to stay the night and hope they opened on Sunday. The local hotels probably pay the petrol station to close early in the evening to force weary travelers to pay their elevated hotel prices.

I have to admit that it was somewhat amusing watching the other poor drivers realize the situation they were in. Two girls of about nine and ten, dashed out of the car with the change their father gave them to buy some candy, probably to keep them at bay during the long and windy road trip. When they realized the store was closed, they started whining as if it were their mother’s fault. Their mother was quick to snap back that their delayed candy fix was the least of their worries.

With our trusty caravan (touch wood) we avoided the expensive hotels and camped at the NZ Motor Caravan Association leased land on the outskirts of town. This photo was taken down the road from our campsite. It certainly is beautiful open countryside. The trout fishing is supposed to be some of the best in the world.