Hanmer Springs Retreat

Saturday morning we loaded up the red Sudan of Vicky's and headed off to Hanmer Springs around 10:30 am. We were headed there for a girls' weekend out. Hanmer Springs is a tourist destination for both locals and international travelers. Best known for its hot springs, it also has cute boutique shops and cafes in the center of town amidst the mountain scenery. One hr later, we checked in to a 3 bedroom house rental and then went off for lunch. The gals ordered beer, and I ordered a diet coke. Anna wasn't keen to go to the hot springs, so she went off to play slot machines ( pokies) and she won $120! Vicky, Marie and I went swimming and relaxed in the thermal hot spa. I used my intertube pass and went sliding in this awesome funnel shaped slide ride. Then, I did laps in the swimming pool until my legs were sore. Good triathlon training! Vicky, Marie, and I went in the "lazy river" section of the pool for a bit, where you ride a frog shaped floatie and the current pulls you around in a circle even without any swim effort from you. When we were done with swimming, we met Anna and made margaritas and did pedicures back at the rental house. Then, it was off to Thai dinner- I had Penang curry with tofu. Yum! We hung out at the house and I learned to play 5 Crowns, a card game. I won both rounds of the game, and the gals started to realize how competitive I am. A few snacks and drinks and games later, we were a bit tired and headed to bed. Vicky was my roommate, so we chatted about her upcoming wedding for a bit, and then fell asleep. In the morning, I woke up at 7 am and made toast with hummus and tomato and some coffee that Marie said I could share. Around 9:20 am, Vicky was up and keen to go on a walk around the area with me, so we headed out while Marie and Anna dozed. It is cool getting to know Vicky a bit better. We went on a nice river trail walk, and the weather was sunny, but not too hot. When we came back, it was tidy time, and I helped dry cleaned dishes and bring stuff back out to the car. We went to return keys and then did some holiday shopping for the family. I found a wooden Hanukkah train for Zack, which was a lucky find. We finished off the trip with salads and a club sandwich at a cafe, and then headed home. It was a relaxing way to hang out with my scouting kiwi gal pals before the holidays.