Location
Crystal Springs is located in rural Matamata, 6 kilometres from the town which has a population of 8000 people. The grounds have numerous hot artesian wells springing up. A river also runs along the boundary of the property.

Weather
The weather is reasonably temperate all year round, but can be very changeable even day to day. Working at any time of the year is not really a problem. Summer (Nov. - March) temperatures range from 20 - 30 degrees C (68 - 86 F) and winter (May - August) temperatures range from -1 - +15 degrees C (30 - 60 F). We do usually have to be prepared with a cardigan or jacket most of the time except in mid-summer.

Sightseeing
We can assist volunteers with some sightseeing or lend or rent them a vehicle for this. The campus is in a beautifull rural setting with the Kaimai Ranges as a backdrop.
Matamata is about 2 hours by car south of Auckland. The cities of Hamilton (Zoo and other attractions), Rotorua (Thermal area) and Tauranga (good swimming and surfing beaches) are each about 1 hour from Crystal Springs. Opal Hot Springs (swimming) are in walking distance across the river from us. In fact we are very central to many lovely spots and tourist destinations. There are also lots of adventure type opportunities nearby, eg. hiking, bungi, boating etc.
Matamata is also known as Hobbiton where "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed.