It’s been a while since you’ve been mountain biking, so the guy at the local bike shop where you’re hiring the e-mtb says to warm up with something easy and fun, like Hot Wheels, the beginner trail at the base of Mystic Park.

“It may be easy, but you can have a heap of fun whipping around it,” he said. “The pump track and BMX track next to it are worth a hit as well. Then head into the main park for some fun intermediate flow trails like Shred Kelly’s Last Stand and Hero.”

“I’ve heard people talking about Mystic DH,” you say. “How hard is that?”

The guy looks momentarily stunned, then smiles and says with a friendly laugh, “Maybe save that for another day pinner. That’s a double black downhill.”

So off you go, snaking your way around Hot Wheels and feeling on top of the world. Bike riding does that to you. You’ve found your legs, so you cross into the main park. A shuttle vehicle full of full-face-helmeted mountain bikers and pulling a trailer of serious looking bikes passes by. Good call by the bike shop guy, you’re not quite ready for that, but man do you have something to work toward.

You begin pedaling up the mountain via the climbing trail. Thank goodness you got an e-bike because your fitness isn't up to doing this without a little help. You switch back and fourth up Up And At Em then Up DJ around upward berms and tight corners. The climbing trail is Intermediate and you can definitely feel it testing you. Finally, you’re near the start of the flow trail Shred Kelly’s Last Stand. The guy said to take it easy. You hold your breath, and…

“OK, let’s do this.”

Man it is fast. You don’t even need to pedal and it’s like you’re flying down a rollercoaster. You hit a roller and kick into the air more than you were expecting. Keep steady!

You snake around a corner, riding it high and then fly down a fast straight before crossing a forest road. The trail then curves widely back and forth, then up and down, over a timber structure and into some jumps. Woah!

“Yeeeeew,” you shout.

Your heart is pumping, the ride is thrilling, you can't wipe the smile off your face. Your already planning your next trip, a shuttle day, and in your imagination you're wearing a full-face lid and riding Mystic DH.

You finish your run as a tandem paragliding instructor comes into land with his passenger. Now that’s not something you can do every day – at least not where you come from. They fly from the top of Mystic Hill. Time is limited and you want to explore some more trails, maybe do a gravel ride around the area while you still have the hire bike. But a scenic flight over the High Country? Now that's an idea.

What do you do?