Sylvia Flats

A few years back a rockfall buried the old pools. I had a look several months after that fall and there was no obvious pool, but I could still smell sulphur. I guess people have dug them out since then though and the last rain caused a further rock fall. The article refers to the ''famous'' hot pools -thats a bit of a stretch !! I drove through the Lewis a few days after the recent 'Wx Bomb' - it looked like there had been a slip or flood go through the carpark/rest area opposite the Doubtless River.

Here's the news story. It sounds like the pools are buried with an unstable bank above. However, long term this could be good, as the river will eventually clear it away, and the bank might stabilise if it erodes a bit more. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/88672624/massive-slip-destroys-popular-sylvia-flats-hot-pools-near-lewis-pass-in-canterbury

As I commented below the article: I was glad to hear the pools were buried a few years ago bc backpackers were camping there and leaving their feces and rubbish lying around. Locals from the Boyle River settlement e.g. Bill Nossiter, were going to Sylvia Flats on a regular basis and cleaning the mess up. As Kingsley Timpson says: if they want a hot pool experience, they can go to Top Hope and the nearby hot pools up there. There is no rubbish or feces at that hot pool.

But are there multitudes of sandflies at Top Hope? One of the joys of Sylvia Flats was always feeding the sand flies which zoomed in on any exposed flesh. Submerging oneself with only the nose protruding used to beat them. The locals (from Boyle?) used to visit just after dark to avoid the wee beasties.

If sand flies are your thing deepriver I don't think you will be disappointed in the Upper Hope. Incidentally there is another hot spring at the Half Way Hut in the Hope. But it's only been luke warm whenever I've been there ...and it's visited by cattle at times.