Not all our international travellers want to pay $500 plus per night so we think the Settlers Motel in Hanmer Springs is an affordable option. The units are scrupulously clean and the interiors have interesting architectural features. It’s also reassuring to have the owners on-site. Alan and Sally have the local knowledge and we trust their recommendations. On arrival, Alan escorts each guest to their unit – a nice touch.
Never underestimate the value of a well presented and up-to-date room information folder. I’m finding little gems of info at Settlers. Although centrally located, the motels are just enough out of the township ‘hub’ to ensure a quiet night’s sleep. The units upstairs have their own balconies and the large skylight window in the bedrooms gives a view of the trees by day and romantic stargazing at night!
The forest walks around Hanmer are beautiful and they’re just up the road from most of the accommodations here. It’s a mixed a mixed European forest with widely-spaced paths and imported Birch, Oaks, Cypress and Californian Pine trees. How gorgeous is this folks!
The mountain-bike tracks around here are well defined and differently graded, depending on how fit you are. This is what we did this morning and in the pure Alpine air it was invigorating. And the bellbirds sure know how to put out a great song.
If you’re a visitor, finding a good café with great coffee, can be a bit of a hit and miss affair. Alan recommended the Powerhouse Café and we’ll be eternally grateful to him:
The coffee is hot and flavoursome, the cabinet’s full of beautiful artisan baking and there’s plenty of gluten-free options for me. I had the Coconut and Lemon Slice – so buttery with a fresh tangy lemon taste.
The Hanmer Springs Hot Pools is a big hit with visitors from Christchurch but we’ll be splashing out in a different way at The Spa at Hanmer Springs. Time to sign in and go through the tick sheet.
The spa experience is not about resolving complex muscular problems. For that, you’ll need a specialist massage therapist either at a sports clinic or private Massage clinic. But what a spa like this does provide, is a variety of quality luxurious body treatments where you’ll be pampered and treated like Kings and Queens. Meet the ‘Royal Couple’:
I can totally recommend the Alpine Aqua Body Experience. First I was scrubbed with a brown sugar solution mixed with lavender and other nourishing oils. I looked as though I’d been covered in crystallised ginger. Initially it was a bit abrasive on my skin but my body soon adjusted to the sensation. After a quick shower it was back on the table for a blissful massage with a hydrating body butter rub, leaving my skin incredibly soft. While all this was going on, the staff were careful about preserving my modesty. With the flair of magicians, they swished the towels around ensuring that not an inch of bare flesh was unnecessarily exposed. Afterwards, I felt like a new woman! Later, to round off the day, we dined at Restaurant 31.
We’ve found that travelling and working on the road has it’s challenges . We’re out for a good part of the day either on tours or meeting operators, so we often work on our business until very late at night. When it’s time to relax, we really appreciate quality food and good service from wait staff. We understand why Restaurant 31 is Hanmer’s pride and joy. Hey, put the cellphone away Michael!
The chef is well known from his days at The Old Post Office Restaurant and his reputation is solid but his wait staff also deserve the accolades. When our dessert arrived late, the staff apologised profusely and offered complimentary tea and coffees. Speaking of dessert…
Woke up this morning to see white fluff on the mountains and hills – the weather’s turned crazy. But this beautiful little Alpine town looks good in any weather – the greens really ‘pop’ when it’s wet. And it’s magic when you’re sitting in the hot pools with gentle snow flakes descending around you. Only 2 days here, so much more to experience, but what a great taster – another lovely memory to store away.
Happy travelling!
