Happy Times in Hanmer

It was raining so solidly on the way out of  Murchison that I actually said:  "Imagine if our first month of our trip was sunny, and the second month was just solid rain..."  Drama queen, much?
We got to Maruia Springs.  Entry was a bit pricey, but it was Valentine's day, and we knew that Hanmer Springs would be packed with tourists , so we went. It was SO cool!  We pretty much had the place to ourselves. 
It overlooked a river and little mountain range. Beautifully warm and just stunning. Down side? Sandflies. Those pesky little punks.  And black slime that forms in  the pools supposedly from where the sulphur meets the mountain fresh water. Okaaaaay.  Good for the skin, they said... suuuuuure. ... But those thing aside,  pretty cool.
On to Hanmer Springs.  Great campsite on the edge of town,  walking distance. Went out to dinner for Valentine's! 
Woop! Next day - two adventures: hiking up Conical Hill (1hr walk) and driving into Molesworth Station. Molesworth... was... mindblowing!   So rugged, so vast, and stunning. We stopped beside a river for afternoon tea and there wasn't a soul in sight.  Just beautiful and I recommend it to anyone.
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ext morning, PB and I went to the pools (be rude not to) and had a lovely morning dip. Hanmer, definitely worth a visit.