JOHN CARTER takes his children to the New Forest

THE day of reckoning had arrived and it seemed the weather gods had answered my prayers.

Deep in the heart of the New Forest, we were about to tackle a ropes course.

Fortunately for someone who is petrified of heights, the skies looked moody and thunder was rumbling in the distance.

This was good news, good news indeed. Not for my children, who were desperate to tackle the obstacles high above us, but most definitely for me.

To keep the children entertained I’d agreed to sign up for the ropes course organised by New Forest Activities.

Part of me was wishing we’d accidentally got lost trying to find our destination, but it’s not so easy when it’s based within the grounds of the Beaulieu Motor Museum, probably the Forest’s best-known visitor attraction.

So there we were at the foot of the trees waiting for the rest of our party to arrive when the thunder rumbled again.

“Oh dear,” muttered our instructor. “That means we won’t be able to go on the high ropes course today. It’s just too dangerous when there’s thunder and lightning around.”

My children groaned in collective disappointment. I could have given him a high-five if it wasn’t so frowned upon by my teen brigade.

So instead we were going to tackle the low ropes course. With the highest obstacle no more than 6ft off the ground, even a wimp like me could handle that.

So off we started, clambering our way along a variety of beams and ladders desperate not to be first to fall off.

Teamwork was encouraged as we passed on handy tips to help the next person progress, and by the time I’d sped down a zip wire I was feeling pretty satisfied with a job well done.

I was ready for anything. Well, almost anything. The Leap of Faith would be ok, wouldn’t it? After all, there was thunder around, so we wouldn’t be that high up.

Except that in all the excitement of an action-packed morning I hadn’t notice that the thunder had disappeared and we were now enjoying glorious sunshine.

Looking up, all I could see was a wooden platform with a sea buoy dangling in mid-air. Gulp.

Being the youngest in the party, my son Austin, 10, was strapped in and soon climbing the tree.

Clambering on to the platform, he was soon making The Leap of Faith, attempting to hit the buoy, before being left dangling in the air and then slowly hoisted down.

Millie, 13, Megan, 14, and Megan’s boyfriend, Ryan, 16, quickly followed.

It was my turn. Racing up the tree as quickly as I could and determined not to look down, I made my way on to the platform and... jumped.

Yes! I’d done it. I’d completed The Leap of Faith and could hold my head high.

I’d jumped from a 40ft platform and was ready for the next challenge.

Fortunately for me, that challenge was to be on the water, not halfway up a tree.

For our afternoon exercise we were booked on a canoeing tour of the River Beaulieu.

And like the ropes course, this was an action-packed two hours of fun.

Austin and I shared a canoe and loved every minute of it as we capsized three times tackling a series of challenges, while Millie and Ryan deliberately jumped into the river to cool down as Megan chose to enjoy a more sedate afternoon in a canoe definitely not about to be flipped over.

Rope challenges and canoeing in the beautiful New Forest. Most definitely a day to remember.

Need to know

New Forest Activities, based in Beaulieu, offers a full range of activities including kayaking and canoeing tours, cycle hire, raft building, a ropes course, archery, Battlefield Live, fungi foraging days and guided walks. Prices start from just £6 for cycle hire. The rope course starts from £15 a child and a two-hour canoeing tour from £25 a child. For more information or to book please visit www.newforestactivities.co.uk, email info@newforestactivities.co.uk or call 01590 612377.

AUSTIN, 10, MILLIE, 13, and MEGAN CARTER, 14, visited the New Forest

Austin: I liked canoeing because there were lots of activities. The ropes were fun and The Leap of Faith was good because I felt like I was flying.

Millie: My favourite part of the day was exploring the river on the canoes; it was an experience I don’t get to do often so it was very fun!

Megan: The ropes course was fun and they offered a lot of activities which I didn’t expect to do. Canoeing was fun because you could do it with your family.