From hailstones to shorts

Thursday 16th April: All night the nor'wester rattled round the campsite and most people got little sleep. Winds were 100-110km per hour and very gusty. At 8am it finished suddenly and the temperature outside was 18 degrees! We packed up the motorhome and drove to the ice-rink and hot pool complex next door. At 10am we were in the hot pools. These are not natural springs but the heat produced to make the ice is used to heat the water. The pools are outdoor and the views across Lake Tekapo to the mountains the other side are very pretty. While we were soaking in 39 degree water the wind swung round to a southerly and picked up speed again. Before we knew it it was only 8 degrees, the surface of the pools was choppy and then ... hailstones! Time to leave!
We drove across the Burke's Pass which is across open plains and so not easy in a high-sided vehicle with pouring rain and blustery high winds. We were relieved to arrive in Fairlie (small quiet rural settlement of about 850) 45 minutes later and stopped for some lunch. We were amazed at how warm and sunny it was there. From there we drove towards Cave and then turned to take a back road through the stunning limestone Pareora Gorge to the SH1 north of St Andrews, then 20 minutes more back to Waimate. What a surprise to find it was 25 degrees in the shade in the back garden at 2pm. We all changed into shorts and the boys played in the back garden while I unpacked the motorhome. In the evening I went to TKD training.
The photos are of part of the hot pools; the view from the hot pools; and the main street in Fairlie.