Hanmer Springs & 21st Birthday

We stopped at Waikuku Beach on the way home from Hanmer Springs.

What a view!

"Tramping" (aka: hiking) on Dogstream Track

Lookout from Conical Hill. This was a long hike and Fiona was in the best shape out of all of us. Mallary had a really heavy book bag so maybe that was her excuse. I have no excuse..but I made it and that's what really counts.

My first interactions with the sheep! This one loved the tasty flowers I fed it!

I celebrated my 21st at Hanmer Springs. We rented out a house for Saturday night. It was beautiful weather....I almost forgot it was winter! Grandma Gordon made a fruitcake for me for my birthday! I also received wonderful Kiwi presents from my friends-which I didn't expect at all, so that was a great surprise as well. 

Imagine my surprise when this beautiful arrangement was presented to me at school on friday in front of all the staff! Thanks to my Mom, Dad, Nolan, Dixie, and Moo for the birthday wishes. It was a wonderful surprise!

Hanmer Springs is a small town (geared towards tourists, romantic couples, and women retreats for a weekends at the spas with girlfriends) and we ate a picnic lunch along the main strip (behind me). Hanmer Springs sits right at the foot of beautiful mountains and hills and is well known for its thermal pools-which we spent Saturday night in. The thermal pools were natural so they contained sulphur (yes...that is how Kiwis spell sulfur), and I missed Fiona's warning about taking off my jewelry so my silver ring turned black by the end of the night. Lucky me that Fiona had silver polish that I used when we returned home to ChCh.