Ben Todd got up this morning, saw heavy rain had flooded the road - then got his jet boat out for burn.
"I wasn't going anywhere," said the Tunakino Valley mechanical engineer. "There was 2m of water running past our house.
He hooked the boat trailer up to a quad bike and - no need for a boat ramp - reversed down the drive until he could launch.
"I was just going for a burn. It had to be done."
The picture from the adventure about 8am today shows Todd in his jet boat tearing down the road past his house approaching a "narrow road" sign. No road rules were broken - he can be seen keeping left as he approaches the sign.
He posted a picture taken by wife Sarah to social media with the note:"I might be a bit late for work sorry boss."
The jet boat got wheeled out a little later for a blast around a flooded paddock, this time with the Todd's child Josh (5) and Page (4) aboard.
The storm which has pummeled Wellington poured a torrent into the valley north-west of Blenheim. Todd said a neighbour at the top of the valley had 240mm fall in 24 hours.
"It's only just gone down. We probably had another two feet to go before it got in the house."
The wild weather came after the quake which shook the valley but caused only minor damage. He said damage nearby appeared limited to sewage and water systems. "It's incredible what the land can do," said Todd.
The 3.2 metre jet boat is a one-of-a-kind, built by Todd and a mate with a plastic hull and aliminium top and powered by a 1500cc car motor.
'The contribution they’ve made to ballet in this country ... has been immense.'