Day 4

There was a nice relaxed feel to this morning. A slow start, a cup of tea while looking out the balcony over the lake with the sun flooding in, and knowing that we had the hot springs to relax in for at least part of the day. Having been too lazy last night, I had the blog to write and once we'd had breakfast I got my writing cap on sat at the table looking out at the view while Clare packed up. Normally, I manage to write the blog at night, after Clare has gone to sleep. I think it shocked her this morning how long a process it can be to get everything written down. Before long, the room was cleared, the car packed and Clare was getting antsy to get on with it. After checking out, we headed down to the lake shore, amazed at how much nicer it was in the sunlight rather than the rain of last night. There wasn't much walking path, so soon we were back up at the Hot Springs, ready to soak and relax. The staff were really friendly, and when we explained how we were on a road trip and had fitted in a number of hot springs already they were only too pleased to direct us to other springs which might be of interest. We'd passed one already, but only a small detour along the route was Half-way River hot springs, which she said was well worth it. With a small queue built up behind us, we finally made our way to the changing rooms, after checking out the large map behind us to see where this new hot springs was. Getting outside at Ainsworth, the cool pool was perched on the edge of the mountainside, looking out over the lake below and mountains surrounding it. A really picturesque view - and that was just the cool pool, sitting at a comfortable 36.7 degrees. Ainsworth was really know for the hot pool, which wound into a cave and came back out again. Natural rock underfoot, with slimy mineral covered walls and a natural hot river flowing into the cave. It was a really easy place to relax and unwind, but certainly was hot - measured at 39.9 degrees, but in the hot water stream it seemed hotter! Once we heated ourselves sufficiently we called it a day.

Armed with a map and some snacks to replenish us after the heat we set off to find the next hot springs. The windy road gave up some amazing views as we travelled - with the lake out one side and mountains on the other, the hardship was staying awake after the long hot soak. This tiredness should have been a warning, but we didn't really pay much attention. When we reached a small town with a supermarket, we stopped to buy some bits for lunch - planning on eating on the go to save some time. As we got out the car at the supermarket, Clare spotted that the patch on the headlight was missing, and on closer inspection - the bulb had smashed. The patch had been placed there by a previous owner, in an effort to save money on repairs when the headlamp casing had broken, it had been taped over with clear tape to make it waterproof. This tape had built up and although had never entirely stuck down firmly, had held on quite well. Obviously, in the high winds/stormy weather of yesterday the patch had torn free, and guessing by the pool of water now occupying the casing - rain had filled it up until the bulb was covered. Not designed to work underwater, the bulb would have exploded. The big question is when would this have happened? There had been no noticeable difference in light emitted, and no sound of a loud bang. We decided we would have to just shorten our day, making sure we left the hot springs early enough to finish driving by dusk. We would stop for the night earlier than planned and tomorrow we could find a scrap yard/wreckers yard to replace the casing and hopefully the bulb for a fraction of the price of a new one.

We set off once more, only slightly worried about having a single headlight - after all we had plenty of time until it was dark. Not long after leaving, the rain started again. Rain soon turned to snow, and the darkness dropped in quickly, despite being before 4 in the afternoon. Still we continued, eager to get to the hot springs so Clare could experience the heat and snow combination. We'd found a website with some fairly detailed instructions on how to get to the springs (http://adventuresoutdoor.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/halfway-hot-springs-free-and-natural-perfect-for-a-cozy-camping-experience/) and had it loaded onto my phone so we could follow it later - unfortunately the webpage was lost after we lost phone signal and we were left with map reading, from slightly inaccurate maps and no roadside directions. After a few false hopes - we eventually found the logging road leading off the highway. Wide enough for a car and a half, it was full of potholes and rocks and I wondered how 2WD cars would manage it. To test it out, I started out the drive in regular 2WD mode, and after sliding around a bit on some climbs gave up and engaged the 4WD. We were a little hesitant about this. With the .... special requirements... the car currently exhibited I wasn't entirely sure how wise it was to play with the transmission. Safety came first, and we were both set on making it to the Hot Springs, so with 4WD engaged we pushed on. This 14km road gave the car a real workout, and was great fun to put all my old training to use. With the snow falling constantly around us it was a beautiful drive up, and I was very glad to have put the camera on the roof to capture some images from it. With logging roads intersecting every now and again and the map not showing the actual location of the springs, it was with some  relief we spotted a line of cars parked at the side of the trail, and a couple walking back to their car with towels. Confident we were in the right place, we parked up and headed down the path on the side of the trail. Partway down, it was evident - with a small amount of skill and the right vehicle, that you could drive down here too. Clearly many of the drivers who had been down here did not have the required skill - as the bunny hop ledges proved. Had I been in the old Pajero, or had the pathfinder been more solid it would have been a great drive down. Instead we very sensibly left it parked at the top and walked. There was a large group of people who had arrived about the same time as us, which was good for knowing we were in the right place but disappointing as well, as if it was as small as it was made out to be there wouldn't be enough space for everyone. As we walked down, we came across various different camps - some with vehicles, others just tents. The 4wd track stopped and we turned onto a footpath - narrow and steep heading down to the rivers edge. The large group was starting to set up camp - obviously staying down here for the night. If it had been a little warmer - it would have been amazing to do the same. We walked around a bit, trying to find the springs. From the description, you just sat in a rocked off area by the river, or piped it into one of the prebuilt hot tub structures. After passing a couple of extinguished campfires, we spotted the pre-built structures and a natural pool off to the side. Obviously, the large influx of people had been sudden and unexpected as one of the prebuilt tubs was occupied by a very obviously naked couple, trying to protect their modesty while people walked around sorting themselves out. Traffic was flowing from both directions, and the meerkat tactics of the girl trying to spot an opening to make a dash for the clothes pile nearby failed when someone walked up from outside her field of vision - causing her to turn a bright shade of red! Even without the sudden influx of people, most of the natural pools were full - after checking a few of them out we decided on one and then tracked back deep into the woods to get changed.

The pool we had selected was shallow, and only 1 guy was in it. He was probably a Steve Jobs wannabe, as he lay there in the water eating an apple, and listing to his ipod imagining another life. Clare was first to venture in - but stopped quickly when she felt how hot the water was. It was nearly scaldingly hot and like when getting into a hot bath, your toes screamed when plunged in. While she perched on the edge, I emersed myself in the hot water, rapidly getting used to the temperature. The bottom of the pool was dirt and  small rocks - surrounded by larger rocks to keep the water in. The stream was cascading over rocks just meters away. It was the most perfect setting of all the hot springs we'd visited and could only have been made better by fewer people. Unfortunately, the snow had stopped while we were changing, as that would have been amazing too. Camping down here must have been magical - middle of nowhere with a fresh water stream nearby, piping hot water running over rocks to slow cook some food and if you got cold in the evening you could just jump into the hot water again. The warmth from the water kept the ground pleasantly warm to stand on, and with a nice thick blanket you could easily have kept warm - perhaps filling up a hot water bottle to keep your toes warm as you slept. Alas, we didn't have everything we'd need for this, and as time moved along we had to leave so that we could get back on the road before it was dark. The road had been fun on the way up, but might be slightly scary if we couldn't see anything!

Once we were back at the car, we got underway as quick as possible. The sun was starting to set and it wouldn't be long till it was dark. As we drove, I tried to pass on all the skills and techniques I'd learnt to drive off road, and about halfway down stopped the car. "Your turn!" Hoping she had paid enough attention, and that I'd be able to talk her through anything that came up - Clare was doing her first 4WD track. With advise flowing constantly, Clare got us down the hill in one piece even managing to pass an oncoming truck heading up.

The highway took us by surprise a bit, and by now it was dark. Still, we'd made it down in one piece (and I'd finally prised my fingers off the door handle and opened my eyes) and there didn't seem to be a hugely noticeable difference in headlight strength. The 20km drive back to the nearest town went quick enough, and we stopped at the first motel we found. A tiny kitchen area with a hotplate would serve for dinner, and by this point we were both dead tired with a pounding headache. Clearly, 2 Hot Springs in a day and not enough water was not a good idea, and we hadn't hydrated nearly enough. There was only 1 solution: an early night, with plenty of too-late-to-help water.