• Quad biking
• Able Tasman National Park

First thing - out to "Happy Valley Adventures" for some quad biking. As it happened we were the only ones booked in for the morning run, so it was just us and the guide - so it made for very personalized service. The weather was perfect, had poured with rain the day before - however today was clear - but there was still heaps of puddles and mud on the tracks. After passing on the trial track - we were taken up the windy tracks to the top of the hill. There's a LOT of driving through deep water (i.e. up-to the seat on the bike). Rachel absolutely loved it! (I also enjoyed it). The "tour" took 2.5 hours including a morning tea stop over an amazing view of an island and the coast. Near the end, you have the opportunity to go around their hilly puddley track as fast as you want a few times - which Rachel made the most of it - hitting one large puddle very fast (so much so that the guide found it most amusing). The whole experience was fantastic - the first time for both of us. Driving back - we were taken on a particularity deep slippery track (the guide wasn't entirely sure if we wouldbe able to get through - as everything was flooded - but just advised we jump off if the bike slips into the river - which I nearly had to do after it tipped significantly).The only down side was we lost the camera… They will look for it, but at this stage it's still lost…

Came back to the hotel for lunch - then headed out to the Able Tasman national park. This is near the tip of the south island, with all the islands. Went for a walk along one of the main walking tracks that runs along the beach - but is mainly in forest (apparently one of the few places in the world with dense forestleading right up to the beach. Once again the views and scenery were amazing- unfortunately no pictures this time with no camera.

Back to the hotel for dinner & Spa. The hotel is fantastic, it seems everything has been thought of, even things like the mirror have a heater behind it in the main section so when the room fogs up, there's still a large part of the mirror that doesn't fog up!