The icy delights of Japan's Furano

Furano, in the middle of Japan's second biggest island of Hokkaido, is a true winter wonderland, which also happens to sound quite spectacular in the summer.

Fields blanketed in snow during the winter become a sea of purple in the summer when hectares of lavender blooms.

Shelley's visit is during the winter, with perfect weather for hot air ballooning and loads of other activities.

One of the more unusual events that is part of the Furano Ski Festival is the Banga-jin, a sleigh race with a difference.

Bare chested men pull a horse on a sleigh in competition against other horse-pulling chaps. Not wearing a shirt gives the men a winning edge because they get to start closer to the finishing line.

Shelley tests her skis out on the slopes and watches other people having fun on a banana boat.

While the temperature might drop to below 30 degrees, Shelley says there is loads of room to enjoy the slopes without the crowds.

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