Spotlight on NZ

Riding the Big Balls

Frances Manwaring | 2 July 2009 | 53 Comments

Until yesterday zorbing was a complete unknown.  Our first thought was that it must be might to do with folk dancing - the sort of thing Zorba the Greek was into.  Apparently not. Zorbing is when you get inside a big plastic ball (zorb) and roll very fast down hill, trying not to damage yourself into the process.   Kiwis are actually startlingly good at thinking up new ways to scare ourselves and the rest of the world...thinking bungy jumping here and think about the truckloads of expeditions following in bold Sir Ed's (as the the late great Sir Edmund Hilary is universally known hereabouts) trailblazing footsteps to the peak of Mount Everest and back.

According to journalist Harry Mount, hydro-zorbing is the only watersport practiced on land.   "It involves climbing into a zorbing ball which is ankle-deep in warm water and attempting to keep striding, as if I'm on a treadmill, while the ball hurtles downhill."  The other alternative is harness zorbing where you where you are strapped to the inside of the ball, opposite another "optimistic madman, unable to move a limb as you roll head over heels, screaming, your gaze locked on the expression of terror in your companion's face."

Zorbing was invented in New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, in 1994 and the large inflatable ball (10m in diameter) was originally intended to move across water until the possibilities of heading downhill became apparent.  We're happy to report that, although New Zealand lost its world distance and speed records for zorbing as other countries got on a roll (!) with the new frightner, Steve Camp took the distance record back in 2006  (570m or 1,870 ft 0.9in) in a single roll in Paengaroa and we also now hold the speed records, both of which appear to still stand.

Zorb Rotorua, where it all started in 1995, has seen 575,689 eager 'zorgonauts' walk through its doors, roll down its hill and jump their best jump, apparently with an unquenchable appetite for more!

Zorbing's just one of a truckload of ways you can test your mettle in this land of the brave, Aotearoa New Zealand.  The thills and spills opportunities are everywhere.  Want to shoot the rapids?  White water or black?  Raft or jet boat.  It's like ordering coffee, you're just spoilt for choice.  Then there's abseiling into canyons and freeviding.  You can ride a rocket ship on a wire should you wish to.  Throw yourself off any number of bungy's, including inner city ones, walk on glaciers and even ski on an active volcano. 

But don't despair.  If all or any of the above hold no appeal, we also have a great symphony orchestra and national ballet and opera companies as well as a thriving arts scene.  But that's a different story.

 

Tags: New Zealand, tourism, extreme sports, bungy jumping, zorbing, abseiling, rafting, skiing