We’re a nation surrounded by sea but with this week's wintry blast, most of us aren’t getting in for a swim any time soon so you might think the togs are staying in the drawer for a while yet.
That’s where hot pools come in handy - and one Canterbury hotspot’s about to make history.
With its pretty peaks and leafy streets, Hanmer Springs has appeal but there's no denying the hot pools are the star attraction.
It's set to turn 150 years old and looks quite different to how it did in the early days.
Back then it was just a tin shed. Ladies and gents didn’t mix either, while health and safety protocols have changed too - people used to come purely to inhale the sulphur.
As time has passed and Hanmer Springs has grown, so have its pools with visitor numbers climbing too. There are now 22 outdoor thermal pools and four hydroslides in the complex visited by half a million people each year.
Watch the Seven Sharp video above to see the preparations getting underway to mark the historic occasion.
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