As winter settles in on the edge of the Mackenzie Basin a new venture is steaming up the landscape.
It took nine years to get resource consent but red tape and a recession was not going to stop one determined South Island couple from launching their dream tourist business.
Lance and Jan Thomas have started a hot tubs business designed to soak away travelers care.
We put some fire wood in here like this, crank the fire up and then they hop in. If its not quite warm enough, they just open up this vent here and the fire kicks in like that. Within five minutes the heats just pouring in,” says Lance.
On the main route between Christchurch and Queenstown - Hot Tubs Omarama is a dream that took years to realize.
“The amount of times we thought about pulling the plug on the whole project…,” says Lance.
The project needed to jump through 14 resource consent hoops.
It came close to being paradise lost, but now it is certainly paradise earned.
“The recession, we found it really difficult to get money, because we're not qualified in this – it’s a totally new venture for us,” says Jan.
Once the consents and finances came through Jan and Lance still had to move the earth.
“You might see all these beautiful pathways but originally they were all just holes and tracks and pipes and pumps. We carted buckets and buckets of sand and gravel,” Jan says.
“We've been open 12 weeks and it is been pretty quiet except for Easter. Now we've got the snow around and winters coming on quite quickly, we're hoping that skiers and tourists as well find this place,” says Jan
If they do, they will find 1, 600 Litres of fresh water and not a drop of anything else..
With the water not having any chemicals and the waters glacial and snow melt so its actually really, really soft and so good for you,” says Jan.
Good for you in ways you might rather not know.
“The biggest thing you get in here is fat off people. When you heat up your skin opens up and then your fat comes out. These cloths here just clean them perfect,” says Jan.
Fortunately the tubs are filled fresh every time.
The couple's environmental concerns extend to their giant water tanks, which they rescued from the scrap heap at the Benmore dam.
“I'm a recycler from way back, my poor family!” says Jan.
Even the idea is recycled; it all began with their hot tub at home.
It was important to the Lance and Jan that this place was just as private.
Each site is tucked away in a secluded environmentally friendly tussock grotto.
“Most of the grasses around here have been transplanted from local farms. The farms were clearing their land,” says Lance.
While they are open all day, it is in the night-time, bathing under that southern star-filled sky that the place really makes an impression.
“Kiwis have to learn to relax. They've got to learn to stop and take time out and this is just ideal. This is just perfect,” says Jan.