Rotorua Part II: Adrenaline Junkies

What better way to follow up a full day of sightseeing than with an equally full day of adrenaline? We awoke the next day later still recovering from a powerful food coma, but we didn't have much time to shake it off before we found ourselves soaked and tumbling down a grassy hill in what looks like a giant rat ball.  Of all the things in the North Island I looked forward to before arriving, Zorbing was arguably at the top of the list.  Only we didn't end up going "Zorbing".  When we showed up to check it out, we ended up going with the company called OGO instead of Zorb because they had longer routes (See below for the interesting history between these two companies).*  Man, it did not disappoint.  

The first run was a wet run (meaning they put a little water in the inner ball so that you can slide around it as it rolls down the hill) down the straight hill, with all three of us in one ball.  The best way I can describe it is sort of like a waterslide, only you're always bouncing off one another.  Once we had a taste we needed more! Since the zig zag course can only support two people per ball, I decided to go it alone.  As the operator was filling the ball with water he mentioned that if I could run down the whole course without falling I could have a free t-shirt and ride.  Feeling challenged, I enthusiastically jumped in to give it a shot.  I made it as far as the first zig before I fell flat on my back, laughing hysterically.  The rest of the course was just me trying my damnedest to stand up again, each time failing, and laughing the whole way.  

Just before the run

In the car on the way up the hill!

After the zig zag, Megan had had enough, but Kayleigh and I hadn't yet whetted our appetite.  So the final course was the dry ball, where they strap you in like an astronaut in training and roll you down the hill while you tumble end over end.  Kayleigh went first, and her report was that it was hardly the barf fest you'd expect it to be.  So when it came my turn, I strapped myself in and began to roll.  It wasn't as fast as the other rides, and it ended far too soon (the course is shorter because you might go "too fast" otherwise according to the operator) If you could only pick one ride, make it the zig zag, you won't regret it.  

After a brief lunch, we were picked up by the shuttle for our next experience - white water rafting down the class 5 Kaituna River rapids.  Megan had been apprehensive about the rafting all morning, toying with the idea of sitting this one out.  We just couldn't let that happen, so we left out some of the details of the trip.  Once she boarded the shuttle with us, we knew there would be no backing down, so maybe this might be a good time to mention that we'll be going over the highest commercially rafted falls in the world? A healthy 7 meter fall never hurt anyone,  at least I as far as I know :) As we geared up, the guides went through the shpeal about what to expect, safety precautions and what to do if the raft flips.  As adventure guides often do, they exaggerated the risks and made ominous names for various parts of the river to psyche you up for the trip, and I watched amused as Megan ate up every word.  

Once we were out on the river our guide did a great job, and he kept fanning the flames of apprehension that sat thick within the group over the big drop.  All total we were going to go over three falls with the third fall, Tutea Falls, being the big 7 meter drop.  I'll never forget the look on Megan's face when we were approaching the first fall - her eyes rolled up and closed while her body slumped like she was going to faint! (Sorry Megan, but it was just too funny :p).  We went over the first and second falls like champions, then the guide mentioned that the third fall would be over twice as big as the first two put together.  Now that we were all sober again, we made the push for the last fall.  Stopping on the side of the river just before the falls, we made one last hurrah before paddling hard over the lip.  We went over and under just fine, but as the raft began to rise from beneath the water it flipped and all 7 of us were ejected from the boat.  We were the only boat on that trip to flip.

Revisiting the dreaded falls

We all made it back aboard ok, and continued rafting to the end of the run.  I don't know what was more fun, the rafting itself or watching Megan's continually changing expressions of horror as we moved from section to section.  She considers herself lucky to have survived.  

*As it turns out the guy who runs OGO is the co-founder of the company Zorb and inventor of the ball who was bought out of the company when it started getting a bad reputation due supposedly to the prerogatives of some big shot investors from Auckland.  The land OGO now occupies is the original land used to test the balls in their nascency, and when the land came up for use he decided to have another go, this time alone.  He is now locked in what will likely be a long legal battle over whether or not Zorb Inc has exclusive right to the patented ball or whether, like a sport, anyone can do it.