During one of our excursions out of Auckland, my partner and I looked for things that both of us would enjoy. Essentially, it was one for her and one for me. I’m going to be recounting what she chose and what I chose for our adventure.
Now, I know that this may frustrating to hear for some of you planners out there but we did not plan everything out day-by-day. We winged it at times but mostly had a rough idea as to what and where we wanted to go see and do.
My partner is in love with trees. Not just any trees either. I’m talking about the mammoth tree that is the Redwood. She can go on and on about how beneficial they are to our ecosystem here in California. So, when she discovered that a few hours away was a Redwood walk she knew she had to go.
Not far from the downtown area of Rotorua is the Redwoods Treewalk. It allows you the ability to get up there with the trees and see what they see…if trees had eyes. It’s a trees-eye view if you will.
The first step I took out onto the suspension bridge scared the hell out of me. I dropped a few inches or so and maybe or maybe not let out a slight yelp. Then I laughed and it was all fine! I was not prepared for the bridge to move as much on the first step. It caught me off guard. Now I am making excuses for being scared…smh.
Taking a walk at tree height gives you, literally, a new perspective on what it’s like to be a tree. OK, not really, but you get the gist of it. It’s just super cool. I’m going to let the photos do the talking for the next few paragraphs. Enjoy.
As you can see, it’s a wonderfully designed experience that, you discover while on the walk, was made with the utmost care for the trees and the surrounding environment. It’s a fantastic nature walk that people of all ages can enjoy.
Now, for the second bit of fun we had in Rotorua…we turn to Zorbing.
That’s right. Z-O-R-B-I-N-G.
Essentially, you hop into a giant hamster ball filled with warm water and roll down a hill. I first remember seeing a Zorb on an MTV’s Road Rules episode, and it’s been in my brain ever since. When I learned that Rotorua is the home of Zorbing, I knew it would be my pick for our activity.
You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque view than this, could you? No.
Strip down, change into your swimmers (or whatever you want to get wet in), and then you’ll be ready to Zorb. It’s an odd experience sliding in a ball half-submerged in water, but it’s a butt load of fun. In between runs, seasons permitting, you’ll have the opportunity to soak in a hot tub or lounge in a mini sauna.
This is one of those experiences that you have to ehh experience firsthand as writing about it does not truly lend the full effect it has on the rider but I’ll do my best here.
You slosh around in a ball not entirely sure what direction you’re facing. The water bounces off you and the walls of the Zorb creating a cacophony that is equal parts exhilarating and disorienting. You will hear your heartbeat through your ears. You will try to sit upright but the momentum and gravity will keep you down. You will laugh. You will scream. You will cheer the entire way down. You will slow to a stop and slide out feet first onto firm ground as you are no longer bound to the liquid womb of the Zorb. Then, you will want to do it again.
That is it for me for today. Thank you for reading and I will see you next time!
John Kidde Writes 