Zorbing

After we departed Hobbiton we drove for about another hour to get to Rotorua. We got in around noon but check in wasn’t until 5 so we had some time to spare. We were both more than ready for a real meal after a long morning of running on nothing but scones and coffee. We got an amazing lunch at a small Tunisian restaurant in town. It was one of the best meals we’ve had all trip in my opinion. After lunch we took a walk to a park nearby and had a nap. It had been a long morning and we were both pretty tired. Feeling a little refreshed we decided to take full advantage of our free time and go Zorbing.

For those of you who aren’t in the know, Zorbing is an activity where you climb inside a giant plastic ball and roll down a hill.

The Zorb place was pretty empty when we got there. They were only offering water Zorbs (the interior of the Zorb would have some water in it, making it extra slippery) today so if we wanted to do it we’d have to get wet. No problem though, we were determined. After changing into some get wet appropriate clothes we went back in and got in a truck that took us up to the top of the hill. We opted for a double ride, meaning we would both go in the same Zorb, because at $29 it was $10 cheaper than the single rides.

The driver filled the Zorb with water. There was a little hole that we had to superman dive through into the middle. I was fully committed and soared right through. Alana however was a little hesitant and lacked conviction in her dive and ended up getting a little stuck in the middle and had to shimmy the rest of the way in. Once we were in they zipped a cover over the hole and opened the gates.

The ball started rolling. Water was sloshing around everywhere. The motion of the ball kept the water flowing in a perpetual wave, crashing over us again and again. I imagine it was what being stuck in a partially full washing machine must feel like. The ball picked up speed and waves crashed over and against us as we slid around inside the belly of the Zorb. The walls were opaque and the water was splashing in our eyes as we slipped and turned this way and that so it was impossible to see outside or tell how far we had gone. The hill seemed pretty short from the outside, but inside the Zorb it seemed like a while before we reached the bottom and the ball slowed to a halt. Some staffers opened the hole and held it down so we could slide out, emerging soaking wet and gasping for breath, like the freshly birthed offspring of this strange spherical creature.

Unfortunately, due to the nature to the activity, I don’t have any photographic evidence of our Zorbing experience. You’ll have to take my word for it. They had a Jacuzzi set up which we sat in for a little before getting a dry change of clothes and heading into town to check in to our accommodation. All in all it was a great but very long day.