[Smiler]

Anyone got any recommendations please?


I've had a good look on all the sites and I'm having trouble choosing, so wouldn't mind some inside knowledge. ;) A nice motel, B&B or similar would be good, there'll be 4 of us.

Is it a kind of place to visit for one night and day, or would we be bored if we stayed any longer?


We're really only going to dip MIL in the hot pools.:D

[K&CS]

I really enjoyed Hanmer but we went with kids, so we were possibly looking for different things. Chch folk go there a lot and it's a popular weekend retreat. I know a couple of people who have baches there. We stayed at the Top Ten in a self contained motel, which was ideal for us, but you may be looking for somewhere a bit more flash. There are quite a lot of good hotels/holiday homes there etc.

If it's just one stop on a tour then I'd say maybe no more than a day or so to do what you want to do.

Kate x

[veronica]

I'd think about 2 nights there so that you have one full day, sightseeing in the morning and doing the hot pools and a massage in the late afternoon/evening. That way you dont have to drive when you are feeling good and relaxed.

[Trigirl]

whatever you do don't bother with maruia springs thermal resort just up the road - the hotel there was the biggest, most overpriced, dump of a hotel i've come across in NZ

[Moorf]

We've stayed at the Greenacres Motel in their townhouses and they were great - very clean, warm, well equipped, 2 bed, balconies wth view over Hanmer - AND they allowed us to take our dog! However, friends stayed in their little motel rooms and weren't impressed.

My parents stayed at the Heritage when they were over at Christmas and loved it.

Unless you're going to walk the many tracks around here I'd agree with V, a day, it's not a big place. We didn't do the pools as I forgot my cozzie and really didn't want to hire one (ewww, sorry,,, is it just me or does hiring a cozzie make your stomach churn!!) :no But the pedal bike cart thingy's around town were cool!! :D

[Moorf]

Trigirl,

Is that the one that's full of Japanese? If so, agree, awful. We didn't stay there (which is just as well) but we had lunch and the food was terrible, service worse and the atmosphere wasn't much better than the local bus terminal. If it ever went up for sale I'd jump at it - so much potential!

Moorf

[Trigirl]

Thats the one. We had a really awful two nights there. Our blog report... http://mandynz.blogspot.com/2007/01/maruia-springs-thermal-resort.html

[Moorf]

What a shame. :( And it always looks so nice in the brochures.... Apparently, if you carry on a little further, heading towards the West Coast, you can go down to the river and make your own hotpools, the downside is you also become an all-you-can-eat buffet for the resident sandflies.

[Smiler]

Oooh Mandy, I'd read your blog before and didn't put 2 & 2 together. Sounded dreadful. That's deffo going to be avoided then.

Excuse my ignorance but is it just one set of hot pools, or a choice? If so which is best (discounting Maruia obviously) Could we do Pegasus winery in the same day? :D

So if we drive up from CC in the afternoon, hot pools in the evening, stay somewhere, hot pools the next day, then leave, does that sound right? Maybe we'll screech round to Moorf's then. ;) I don't think we're going to be tramping, we're only going there coz MIL doesn't want to 'do' Rotorua and I thought it would be nicer than Rotorua anyway. Is it?

I'll check out the Top Ten and Greenacres, thanks K, T, V & M. :nice1
The Heritage looked nice if a little 'spensive for 4 of us.

Two things I don't fancy, being a 'all you can eat' for the sandflies and renting a cozzie, that's really put me off my cheese salad tonight. :exitno vomiting smilie, so used that one instead

[Moorf]

Maybe we'll screech round to Moorf's then. ;)

Looking forward to it!! :D