Hot Springs and Wineries

For me, the hot springs were the major attraction with the many restaurants and good accommodations an added bonus. Adventurers would be impressed by the jet boating, bungee jumping, rafting, canoeing and horse treking that are available here at rates less than in some other tourist centres. In winter there is a ski area close by.

The Waipara Valley wineries are a huge lure for long lunches and relaxed afternoons.

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Location, location, location is what it is all about. This motel is perfectly situated within the village, just 100 metres from the hot springs, within 50 metres of restaurants and shops, yet off the main road.

The rooms are large and completely equipped. We had taken a suite because all the motel units were occupied. It had a bedroom separate from the kitchen/dining/lounge area. The unit came with TV, refrigerator, toaster, electric jug, frypan, sink, electric cooktop, crockery, cutlery, glassware, cooking ware and heater. Tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper and milk were provided and a morning paper was delivered to the room.

Owners Don and Eunice Edgecombe were extremely accommodating. They provided towels to take to the thermal pools so rental was not necessary, a hairdryer when we returned, and access to the laundry for washing and drying clothes. The in-room information kit contained menus from most of the restaurants in town so you can choose without having to visit them all. They also make personal recommendations when pressed.

The motel is next to the Alpine Village Inn Bar and Bistro so we thought it might be noisy. By the time we returned to our unit around 9pm, most of the customers had already left and it was as quiet as a lamb. We would definitely stay here again.

The Garden House Restaurant operates within an historic building inside the grounds of the Thermal Reserve. During the re-development in 1992 it was moved 20 metres to its present position. It serves lunch, dinner and snacks. You can eat inside or out depending on the weather.

We were very lucky to get a table because pre-booking is usually necessary. It was outside and the temperature was too cold for my wife (who thinks 30C is cold) so we ordered and ate quickly. She had a kebab appetiser (NZ$8.50) and I had the soup (NZ$6.50). For mains she had a satay chicken stack (NZ$19.50) while I thoroughly enjoyed my reef and beef - sirloin grilled to perfection then topped with sautéed scallops and shrimps (NZ$23.50).

We thought the food was average but it may have been because we were both tired after a long day and my wife was cold. The fact that it is so popular seems to indicate that the food must be good. The service was reasonable despite the big crowd.

The elegant dining room is within the restored historic landmark building now occupied by the Heritage Hanmer Springs Hotel. While it doesn’t appear to be well advertised, the public is welcome to dine in this lovely room with its fireplace, lounges, palms and outdoor terrace. It is a wonderful location for lunch.

Despite the classy ambience, prices were reasonable. Soup was available for NZ$6, while Garlic mussels were NZ$10. My wife had a smoked chicken and garden salad (NZ$12) and I had the red Thai lamb and kumara curry on a ginger couscous with sweet fruit chutney, riata and naan bread (NZ$12.50). I highly recommend this. We were happy to drink water (free).

We were very happy to be in the lovely room near a window overlooking the terrace. In warmer weather a table on the terrace would be great.

We didn’t eat here at night but some friends did and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They strongly recommend the grilled salmon crusted with tomato dill pesto and topped with mussels Kilpatrick (NZ$24).

When driving north along highway 1 from Christchurch, Pegasus Bay Winery is the first you come to when you enter the Waipara Valley. It is about 3 kilometres off the highway on Stockgrove Road, and is well sign-posted.

Sauvigon, semillon, riesling, chardonnay, pinor noir and merlot grapes are all grown here. The wines produced are high quality and prices reflect this. The restaurant is established at one end of the winery. It is on two levels and is quite classy. Huge wrought iron lights and decoration items compliment art works from some of New Zealand’s leading artists.

A doorway leads from the restaurant to an upper-level viewing platform, which overlooks the work area and looks into the laboratory. Wine tastings are held on the ground floor of the restaurant. There is a charge of NZ$2 but this is returned if you buy a bottle or have a meal. Main dishes are from NZ$22-28 while white wine is from NZ$18-27 and red is NZ$23. Every dish on the menu is matched with a particular wine but, of course, you are free to make your own choice.

Meals are served in the restaurant, outdoors in a lovely paved area under a canopy of vines, or at tables under umbrellas on the lawn. The whole set-up is superb and under the personal supervision of Edward Donaldson, one of the family that owns the establishment. Mathew, a brother is the winemaker, while mother Christine is business manager. Professor Ivan Donaldson overseas viticulture and wine styles. The personal touch makes this an excellent place to visit.

The development, adjacent to the highway, is impressive and makes you want to stop. Inside is equally attractive. There is a nice bar for wine tastings and bottle sales, a large dining room for use when the weather is cold, cloisters which look out to the vines for semi-outdoor dining in good weather, and a large, modern winery.

Winery tours are available most times of the year but they had been temporarily stopped when we visited due to harvest being underway. We were, however, able to overlook the activity from a viewing platform and meet the wine maker Mark Rattray. Mark told us that pinot noir is the flagship grape because the area is optimum for this delicate and somewhat finicky grape. Other varieties that are grown are merlot, chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris and sauvignon.

We ate under the cloisters and loved it. My wife had mushrooms and I had chicken breast (both around NZ$19). Executive chef Trudi Jones turns these ordinary sounding dishes into works of art and culinary excellence. They were very satisfying and we were pleased we had only ordered a main course. We each had a glass of wine (from NZ$4) with our meal. The time raced away and before we were ready we had to move on to our next experience. Only then did we realise we had been here for around 2.5 hours.

The first bathhouse was built here in 1885 but the complex was totally re-developed in 1992. The pools are now owned by the Hurunui District Council and operated by the council’s Hot Springs Thermal Reserve Management Committee.

The spring produces a sodium chloride water with minor amounts of boron, calcium and carbonate. It comes out of the ground at 54C and heat is extracted so that the pools are between 32-40C.

We decided to take a private steam suite as a starter. These units have their own changing area, shower and freshwater plunge pool and can accommodate up to 6 people (although this would be very crowded in the changing area). The cost for this, or for the identical units with a sauna rather than steamroom, is NZ$15 for 30 minutes, NZ$20 for 60 minutes.

The steam room was very hot, but the temperature could be controlled by turning off the steam, and the plunge pool was deadly cold. We loved it. Time went very quickly. We then moved to the public pool areas. After our time in the steam room none of the pools were hot enough, even though the one we finished in was 39C. There are several free-form pools connected by a hot stream, three large formal pools, and a 25-metre freshwater heated pool. In another area there is a family activity pool with 2 waterslides. The slides cost a further NZ$5. All these facilities are out-door.

We were tempted to have a massage in the health and fitness centre but settled instead on dinner. We loved the thermal reserve and would have returned each day if we were staying longer. Go in the evening for maximum atmosphere although the daytime air temperature makes it more pleasant to wander around in your swimsuit.