Today we are going on a wild ride right about Hanmer Springs.
So we just arrived at Hanmer Springs Adventure and we're gonna go quad biking.
Yep, that pretty much sums it up we are meeting the team from Hanmer Adventure and we are
heading toward their massive sheep station.
It's 15,000 acres.
It's gigantic so there's no better ride than a quad bike to explore it all.
First up Eugene our guide is gonna take the time to explain us all the safety stuff that
we need to be conscious about because quad biking quite dangerous.
It's actually the one activity in New Zealand that creates the most accidents so we're gonna
have to be on our toes.
In fact, quad biking is considered more dangerous than skydiving, bungy jumping and all those
other crazy activities and for that reason it's quite hard to find quad biking activity
in New Zealand so we are pretty stoked to have found this one right here.
So with our helmet strapped on real tight we went through a quick introductory course
where we got to learn how to maneuver the quad bike.
And how to do it in a safe way.
And don't expect us to be doing any stunts we are gonna be pretty conservative behind
Eugene going on through the awesome land that we're gonna be exploring today.
After we've got through the introductory section of this tour by going through the flat sheep
fields we are now upgraded to doing some more rougher terrain and getting uphill doing lots
of puddles and stream crossings and just making our way higher and higher up the mountain
it's really awesome.
We have so much amazing terrain to cover today there's about 25km of purpose-built quad biking
track all around this huge sheep station.
The tour is about 2 and a half hours long which means we get plenty of time to really
make the most out of these quad bikes and just go full speed through the fields and
through all the puddles.
Eugene stops us a couple of times along the way just to explain how is best to approach
some of the obstacles we're gonna be tackling for instance he's teaching us how to use the
brakes down the really steep downhill sections and also what to do on the uphill sections
as well to make it easier on the quad bikes and get there as fast as possible.
The one thing that I like about quad bike sis how maneuverable they are.
They are super easy to maneuver around and they are really responsive meaning that every
single time there is a tiny obstacle like a massive pond of water or anything we are
able to make it through super easily.
There is not really any skills involved right here.
the machine is doing everything for us.
To make it even easier on us the team from Hanmer Adventure has preloaded all the settings
so the only thing we have to worry about literally about acceleration, steering and braking.
And this makes it one of the easiest tours we've ever done it's so easy that we actually
would recommend that despite it being a little bit dangerous for people with kids.
the guides are super competent and they would be able to give you a different pace if you
have a younger crowd and they would be able to give you a bit of a faster pace if you
have a bit of more a teenager crowd.
It's really awesome and super convenient so if your'e travelling with kids and you want
a little bit of an adrenaline rush with stunning views you've got to do this one.
The halfway point of our tour is marked when we get off our quad bikes and walk just a
little way up to this amazing viewpoint overlooking the Hanmer Basin.
There's amazing scenery around us and it just doesn't look real it looks like something
from a painting.
There's mountains as far as the eye can see and once we've taken all the photos that we
want we are then getting back onto our quad bikes and going down this massive mountain.
All the while getting some amazing views all the way down.
What's really cool about this tour as well is that fact that Eugene is taking loads of
photos for us which is actually going to email to us after the tour for free.
He's taking photos of various different locations that we're at during our quad biking tour
and he's also taking pictures one by one of us absolutely speeding through the puddles
and getting splashing everywhere. he's getting all the photos that you want on Facebook.
And as soon as we make it to the bottom of the mountain the track seems like it's been
specially designed for us splashy finish.
We are going through so many puddles much deeper than others getting those quad bikes
quite a run for their money.
And it's really entertaining because the whole group is competing on how to pass the fastest
through the puddles making obviously the biggest splash.
It's heaps of fun and we are all laughing out loud it's so cool.
I had to be honest I had a bit of a giggle when we were given some gumboots some overalls
some splash jackets all those kind of equipment which I thought were really futile but honestly
right now I am so thankful that we have all of them on.
It's quite funny because Hanmer Springs is supposed to be one of the most relaxed towns
in New Zealand it's pretty much only famous for their hot springs which are obviously
the most relaxing place in the country.
You saw our video yesterday when we were super relaxed but there's heaps of adventure to
be had here.
Hanmer Springs Adventure has quad biking they even have some horse trekking and there is
some awesome hikes around there is much more to do here than meets the eye.
Overall we really had a blast this afternoon and we're super thankful to all the people
in the tour as well.
The two girls that were joining us during this tour were from Australia they were actually
some readers of BackpackerGuide.NZ and they were super good sports as we had to stop quite
a few times to film and passing through the splashy bit quite a few repetitive times.
they were absolutely amazing and we can't be thankful enough.
Obviously the team from Hanmer Adventure was awesome as well and thank you Eugene.
We are putting on some overalls to protect ourselves from mud and stuff.
Protect us from the mud the mud is evil.