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Harry followed his dad up the busy street. He was in Queenstown, New Zealand—the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’. All around him were shops selling fantastic tours and adventures. Everything from bungy jumping and skydiving to white-water rafting and jet-boating.
But Harry didn’t want to do any of it. He had said ‘No’ to everything his father had suggested. It wasn’t that he was a coward. He just liked to be careful. He didn’t want to get hurt again.
Harry used to love going as fast as he possibly could. Skateboarding, bike riding—the faster, the better. Then one day a car had knocked him from his bike. Harry’s leg was broken in two places. It had taken him months to recover. Sometimes his leg still ached.
‘Look at this, Harry,’ said his father, Dr Edwards. He pointed at a display of four-wheeled bikes outside a shop called Off-Road Tours. ‘Isn’t that an amazing motorbike?’
‘Yeah, it’s cool,’ said Harry, hoping he sounded excited.
‘It’s a kid’s quad bike,’ said a voice beside them. ‘They’re for off-road adventures.’
‘What’s an off-road adventure?’ asked Harry.
‘It’s a load of fun,’ said the man. ‘You can ride a quad bike just about anywhere—in the dirt, up mountains and, best of all, through mud.’
Dr Edwards looked at Harry. ‘Fancy an off-road adventure, son?’
‘Well … I’m not sure,’ said Harry. ‘I’ve never done anything like this before.’
‘That’s OK,’ said the salesman. ‘We can teach you to ride one. We’ve got something to suit everyone. Why don’t you come inside and watch our video? It will show you what we do.’