It’s the best of all possible worlds when the journey is just as rewarding as the destination.

It’s theoretically only just over 90-minutes’ drive from Christchurch Airport to Hanmer Springs, but who would want to hurry when there’s so much to enjoy along the way? The town’s Unrush Hour feeling should be adopted well before arrival.

For a start, there’s the scenery: the green and gold expanse of the super-fertile Canterbury Plains, chequered with windbreak-bordered paddocks, while the majestic Southern Alps rise beyond the rolling foothills. There are sheep, of course, and crops — but also vineyards, many of them family-owned. With more than 20 cellar doors in the region, specialising in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, you will be spoilt for choice.

Amberley in the Hurunui is your first stop for a craft beer and wood-fired pizza at Brew Moon Brewery, perhaps after a wander around the busy Saturday farmer’s market showcasing the seasonal locally grown produce, as well as beauty and wellness products. There’s also a craft market here.

Pegasus Bay Winery in the Waipara Valley is guaranteed to please. Serious about their wines, but relaxed in the presentation, it’s a delight to rock up to their striking building for a tasting if you’re not the sober driver, and then wander through the mini-deli. Load up a basket here with delectable nibbles to enjoy on beanbags out in the beautiful gardens, or upstairs in the cosy lounge.

Or — bypassing no fewer than four more wineries — head across SH1 to The Bone Line. Take an informative stroll through their vineyards before sampling their wines and enjoying a tasting menu of locally-sourced foods. Even further along quaintly-named Ram Paddock Rd, and well worth seeking out, is Iron Ridge Quarry. Arty sculptures are exhibited in the quarry – small and large, kinetic and stationary, all of them are strikingly set in a native garden against a dramatic backdrop.

Fortified and on the road again, there’s scenery aplenty to appreciate along SH7, like quirky Frog Rock and the limestone cliffs at Weka Pass. If you time it right you will see, or even be able to ride on, one of Weka Pass Railway’s vintage trains. Being towed by a puffing steam engine through this steep, hand-dug cutting is always fun.

You’re properly into farming country now, and there’s a chance to get up-close and personal with it all at Hurunui Hills. The tour they offer on this high-country farm is a hands-on experience with their Merino sheep, Angus cattle and tail-wagging dogs, all delivered with friendly humour by farmer Scotty.

Next, the wide and winding Hurunui River is the foreground for some great scenery. The best way to see it all, as well as to learn some fascinating local history and geology, is to take a short detour to the informative Balmoral Fire Lookout building in the Recreation Reserve. Sited high on a hill, the views are fabulous and well worth the short walk up there.

After a break in Culverden for some refreshment, bear left towards Hanmer Springs, following the Waiau River. The hills close in around you here, as you wind along the narrow valley, closer and closer to the proper high country, the mountains peeping over the top.

The river’s classic shallow braiding is the focus for two operations as you get closer to where Hanmer Springs sits in its picturesque valley. Amuri Jet Adventures and Hanmer Springs Attractions both operate exciting jetboat rides along the narrow gorge, thrills guaranteed. As well as gentler options available for exploring the river, there’s also bungy jumping from the high bridge, or bumpy quad bike expeditions through the shallows and into the forest.

Then you arrive at Hanmer Springs itself, quiet, compact and friendly, home to just 1100 souls and not a single traffic light. Accommodation here ranges from campground to lodge, with every option in between. At the town’s famous Thermal Pools & Spa you’ll find 22 separate pools, each different in its own way: in temperature, size, type of water, level of peacefulness and privacy — or, alternatively, shriek-inducing excitement in superfast, steep hydroslides and rides.

This is where you can complete your Unrush Hour experience, after your leisurely drive to the town: a wallow in the soothing warm waters, after indulging in a spa bath or sauna at the Spa, where a full-body massage will ease away the tensions of the journey. Except, there aren’t any.

To learn more about Hanmer Springs and how you can experience Unrush Hour, visit ‘Unrush Hour’ starts here | The Pools | Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa