Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa is a stunning complex of natural thermal pools, massage pools and a family area - complete with a water playground and hydroslides. The facility features extensive paved areas and hard services that, due to the corrosive environment, need constant maintenance. And it’s a location that Adam Kreisel and his team - based in Christchurch - look forward to visiting, to maintain the large facility – all with Firth products.
“We have been maintaining the Hanmer pools for almost 20 years now,” says Adam. “We make a couple of trips up there a year and it's work that the guys and I really look forward to. It's a great spot. We work during the day, have a swim and then have a beer at the local. It’s not a bad place to be.”
Adam explains that, due to the very corrosive nature of the springs, the lifespan of a paver is only about ten years, whereas he knows of Firth pavers that his father laid back in 1992 in Victoria Square and standard Firth Holland pavers (80mm) in Worcester Boulevard and Worcester Street in Christchurch that still carry traffic and trams daily and continue to perform well after all these years.
“We would expect a paver to last about 20 years, but it’s far less at Hanmer,” says Adam. “The top of the pavers corrode to the point that they become slippery when wet, which then becomes a safety issue. While we are there we replace sections of paving around the facility. We pick a line that we can lay the new pavers to. We pull up the old pavers, re-lay the bedding sand and then lay the new pavers using Firth’s hardwearing, ‘Hanmer Cream Sands’ Walkway™ pavers. We lay about 100m² at a time. We go away for about six months and then go back again.”
“My dad Hans first started working with Firth back in 1979 as he did a lot of the curb and channeling throughout Christchurch back then, and he did all the boxing by hand,” explains Adam. “Firth delivered two to three loads of concrete per day to him for years. Around the end of the eighties the city needed someone to lay paving so Dad learned how, and we haven’t looked back since. I took over the business in 2011, so Dad could go white baiting, and we continued our very strong relationship with Firth.”
Adam says that he keeps his team small on purpose. “We run a team of about four to five people. I made a conscious decision that I didn’t want to get too big as maintaining a very high standard of workmanship is my main priority. I am concerned if we get too big that our standard will slip.”
Even with a smaller team Adam says they can lay about 150m² a day. “We have a really good system that works well for us. We keep a loader on site which we keep busy all day long. It makes a huge difference as it lessens the amount of bending and lifting we have to do and it helps keep the site very tidy.”
“We really like working with Firth and Sally George, our Firth contact, is amazing,” adds Adam. “She helps with any queries straight away and even drops in samples every so often to show us new colours and options. “If I have been asked to quote using other brands I will also put in a Firth option. Often I can get the job re-specified. It just makes it easier for me to stick with Firth for everything as they have the best range and we know the product well. I often pick up the phone and talk to Firth’s Production Manager to discuss product and stock levels. It works really well for us and we won’t be going anywhere else.”
Hanmer Springs … a brief history
- The hot springs in the Hanmer basin, known to Māori, were discovered by local runholder William Jones in 1859. Bathing facilities were opened in 1883.
- Early bathers at Hanmer Springs did not wear swimming costumes, so the pools were used alternately by men and women. It is said that a pair of trousers hoisted on a pole by the dressing shed signalled ‘men only’, while a skirt indicated that women were in the pools.
- A sanatorium was built on the site in 1897. During the First World War it was replaced by a convalescent hospital that later became the Queen Mary Hospital. It treated people with joint disorders, and later those suffering from psychiatric illness and alcoholism.
- The wooden hotel built in 1897 was replaced in 1932 by the Hanmer Lodge. At the springs themselves, a complex that opened in 1978 is now a major tourist attraction, with 10 thermal pools and other facilities.
Project Details
Principal: Hurunui District Council
Customer: Kreisel Contracting
Location: Hanmer Springs
Product: Firth Hanmer Cream Sands Walkway™ pavers
For more information on the Firth’s range of pavers click here or call us on 0800FIRTH1 (0800347841) or email us at info@firth.co.nz
