ZORBing in New Zealand

When my husband and I went to New Zealand, one of the things on our “bucket” list was ZORBing (the sport of globe riding)*.  I’ve seen it on the Amazing Race (my favourite reality TV show) and I just had to try it out for myself.

Being an adrenalin junky, I couldn’t wait to get there.  I wasn’t sure what it was really all about, but I knew that I had to try it out.  We arrived at Rotorua and followed the signs that took us directly to ZORB Rotorua (http://www.zorb.com/zorb/rotorua/).

If you’ve never heard of it, or don’t know what it is, here is a quick description, with some pictures and a video of my husband and I ZORBing.

When you arrive at the top of the hill, you enter a giant ball, which is filled with water (or you can choose the dry version).  The ball gets released and you go “swooshing” around in the giant ball until you stop at the bottom of the hill.  Straight forward, right? To be honest, it wasn’t really scary.  When you’re sliding around in that ball, you have no idea of what’s really going on (which is a good thing in this type of situation) and you’re never upside down (I’m sure there’s some sort of science logic to this like gravity or something ,but I’m not a scientist, so don’t ask me).

Here’s a video of my husband in the ZORB.  Advance apologies for my laughter… you’ll see / hear 😉

While in Rotorua, there’s other amazing sites you can check out.  We went to visit the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland (http://www.waiotapu.co.nz/).  Due to Mt Tarawera, a dormant volcano near Rotorua, beautiful bubbling mud pools and spectacular geysers formed, making it a tourist paradise.  Sure, it may not smell very nice (thanks to the faint sulphur scent), but the multi-coloured Champagne Pool and the erupting geysers are a must-see!

We also went to Skyline Rotorua (http://www.skylineskyrides.co.nz/rotorua/); situated at the side of Mt Ngongotaha.  We took the gondola up to the top and observed breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Rotorua.  And then, we luged our way down on a three-wheeled cart.  Everywhere you go in NZ, a new thrill or adventures awaits you!

If you happen to be in NZ, I would highly recommend that you stop by and try out ZORBing.  You don’t have to be a thrill-seeker to enjoy this ride.  However, if your adventure plans don’t take you as far down under as NZ, there is still good news!  ZORB just opened up (in 2007) a new spot in the US. ZORB Smoky Mountains located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Have you ever tried zorbing?  What’s the craziest / strangest adventure you’ve ever been on? Will you try out ZORBing if you can?

*aka: giant iflatable human hamster ball

Related articles

• Visiting Rotorua (gorentals.co.nz)