mini maruia

for the last day here, we decided to get the hell out of dodge and spend the day relaxing. we chose a small little japanese-style thermal bath resort, about 2 1/2 hours northeast of christchurch in lewis pass, deep in the middle of the southern alps.

to make it a little more fun, we called around and were able to rent a mini cooper for our drive.

as you may know, they drive on the left in new zealand and australia, probably legacies of being part of the british commonwealth. i don’t know why canada isn’t the same way, but it’s just as well as it would probably cause a little confusion at our northern border. having never driven in a left-hand drive country before, i was a little nervous, as i was already having enough trouble trying to remember which way to look when crossing the street (both ways, repeatedly. and then again. maybe i’ll just wait for the beeping walk sign instead?). however, if i’ve learned anything in christchurch, it’s that you can pretty much drive anywhere you want in new zealand. not only were people driving on the left hand side of the road, but they were swerving around on the right sides, and frequently up onto the sidewalks as well. so, what, me worry?

it turns out that it’s not too bad at all. you just have to concentrate really hard for the first few minutes, and fight that instinct to drive on the right. but if you really pay attention it’s not so bad. it’s certainly easier than convincing yourself that you can breathe underwater.

the maruia thermal springs resort were quite cute and remote, nestled up in the mountains. it certainly was spectacular up there, and by spectacular i mean that it was raining and 48 degrees cold. however, if you’re soaking in a hot thermal bath, none of that really seems to matter anymore. they’ve got hot pools for the public, but we opted for the traditional japanese bath houses, which don’t allow clothing. although i think hmc got the better of that deal, since they’re also sex-segregated, and would you rather look at naked men or naked women? exactly. it was impressive to sit in the bath and look out onto a pristine tree-covered mountain, nestled in a valley of clouds, though. you certainly don’t get that in muskogee. we also booked a private bath for later that evening, which was excellent for a last night of honeymoon relaxing soak.

as for the mini, it was a lot of fun. it handled really well, although i couldn’t really tell exactly how well, as i didn’t know my km-miles conversion so i had no idea how fast i was going. had i known that 100km/hr is only about 60mph, i would have tried to go faster around those turns. the big plus is that it’s probably around the same length as my miata, but with the back seats we could actually bring along our two large suitcases, which wouldn’t even be a possibility in my car. i love it! i want one!

Posted at December 9, 2004 11:33 PM