Walking, quad biking...and a taste of real food

Day 2 (20 October 2026)

It was such a fine morning, Joel decided to go for a jog. It was probably around 10 degrees - too chilly for the rest of us 🥶 He took pictures along the way - it's such a picturesque town. 

After the rest of us rolled out of bed, we went for a morning trek at the Dog Stream walkway. This is an easy trek, around 2km through a beautiful part of the Heritage Forest. There's a longer and more scenic trek but my thoughtful dotter thought she should ease her sedentary mother into the walks. Be warned, this is going to be a photo dump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then suddenly, we emerged out of the woods into an open clearing. It felt super dramatic - the sudden change in scenery, reminiscent of the scene in the Lord of the Rings when Treebeard the Ent saw the massive smouldering clearing left by Saruman's orcs. 

HM brought a drone so he was able to take this super aerial shot. 

 

 

 Another drone shot. 

We came by some wooden animal sculptures that add interest to the walk. Of course my children had to ham it up. Of course.

 

After that bracing walk, we headed for brunch at Rustic Cafe. Again, we did not know it then, but this would be one of the best meals on our trip. It's not fancy fare but all the ingredients were local and super fresh - the eggs tasted eggier, the meats meatier, the potatoes more potatoey, the mushrooms more mushroomy - you get the drift. 

To me, it felt like I was eating real food for the first time, if that makes sense. I thought, this is how food is meant to taste, not the processed rubbish that we're so used to. Like in Eden when God made the trees pleasing to the eye and good for food, this is hearty and wholesome fare that is meant to nourish us. 

 

 

The food draped over the plates in abundance, and we finished it all.  

 

Oh, and the coffee and hot chocolate were good too.

After lunch, we took another short walk back to the motel. I just can't get over how pretty this town is. Joel is already saying he wants to retire here.

 

Grandpa pine cone vs baby pine cone.

And then, it's time for some adventure! The three guys had signed up for quad biking, offered by one of the local tour operators. 

 

In NZ, safety is paramount. There's a half-hour briefing and trial run around an obstacle course before you're allowed to go out. There were three other participants who signed up.

 

 

And they're off! 

 

It's quite a rugged terrain and goes through the parts of the Waiau River. I never realised those quad bikes can navigate through such deep waters. It's also not as easy as it looks. Andre said he lost control of his bike at one point and veered off the trail. The operator takes photos along the way which we could download at the end for a fee.

 

Meanwhile, us three ladies didn't have as big an appetite for adventure. We stayed behind at the lodge to wait for the boys and admire the scenery. I did a spot of painting of the Waiau River. The waters are a pale turquoise blue, it's so pretty. 

Don't think I did it justice. Ah well 🤷‍♀️

A drink that bears their names!

One of the attractions of Hanmer Springs is bungee jumping over the Waiau River. We managed to catch a lady take the plunge - her screams could be heard echoing through the valley!  

 

Drifters Inn has a beautiful, fully equipped kitchen free for guests to use, so instead of going out, we decided to cook our own dinner using the fresh ingredients we could find in the supermarket. When I say "we", of course I didn't mean me 👀. Lesley-Anne made quesadillas with cheese and veggies while Andre grilled the meats (lamb and beef) and Mona did all the prep. I have such a talented family. 

It was an absolutely brilliant dinner 😋 Though after dinner, there was quite a hilarious episode where us 6 Asians were unable to figure out how to work a dishwasher 😂