ZORB™ Rotorua — Attraction in North Island

My son and I encountered racial discrimination act at the front desk of Zorb Rotorua. We started check in at the store at around 1:30pm on 30th March, the store clerk's attitude was not cool, she just showed us a poker face. I thought it was her working condition and didn't pay much attention. After all, it is impossible to ask everyone to greet us with a smile. But a few minutes later, she greeted the customers behind me with big smiles, which confused us. My son played for 3 hours at Zorb Rotorua. At round 4:40PM, when we were about to leave, my son bought an ice-lolly at the front desk. We went to the front desk to pay, and the three front desk staffs were busy checking the bill for the day. They still treated us with their poker face. Although it was uncomfortable, I didn't say anything. When I was paying, my son was attracted by the advertisement at the front desk. He didn't pay much attention to the fact that I had paid. I turned around to look at the visitor center advertisement. After a while, my son asked a front desk clerk:“ can I have this ice-lolly?” I turned around and saw the clerk answering his question very impatiently and rolling her eyes!! This made me very uncomfortable. What made me most uncomfortable was that the next second she showed a big smile to another guest and said goodbye to her. We feel very uncomfortable and very angry about the unfair treatment we received here this afternoon. Why should we be treated like this? Didn’t we pay for the ticket? Didn’t we break any rule in Zorb? We are general consumers. We paid money to get fun for our kid, not for different treatment. There were three ladies in the front desk, one helped me check in, one sold me ice-lolly, one was asked by my son, three of them all showed us a poker face and an eye rolling finally. If they did not welcome Chinese people, you can put a sign, said :“ Chinese people are not welcome, we don’t want to earn a single dollar from you.” Then we won’t show up in your store, and we will post on WeChat, little red book, TikTok, and let all the Chinese people know that Zorb Rotorua do not welcome Chinese people, please don’t go, they will show you poker face and eyes rolling! If Zorb Rotorua do welcome us, please do tell your employees...

We've all come across Zorbing in our online explorations and New Zealand advertisements, so it felt like a must-try activity. We booked our experience through Viator for two runs, not quite knowing what to expect but eager to give it a shot. Upon arrival, we checked in and filled out consent forms before receiving wristbands indicating our chosen runs: the basic straight track and the thrilling zig-zag descent.

After changing into our gear, we took a moment to warm up in the hot tubs at the bottom before boarding the van to the starting gates. My wife and I eagerly hopped into the first ball together, feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty as we were sealed inside and pushed over the edge. The ride was undeniably thrilling, but we couldn't help but wonder what could enhance the experience. Exiting the ball felt like a rebirth as we emerged, drenched in water.

With no rush to return to the top, we indulged in another soak in the hot tub, discussing our next run. The boys, keen for more excitement, opted for additional runs, unlocking access to all four tracks: straight, zig-zag, circular, and the exhilarating steep hill. The latter was a unanimous favorite, promising a near-freefall experience at top speed.

Meanwhile, my wife and I savored the leisurely pace, soaking up the sun and the spectacle of watching the boys' descents before embarking on our second run. The zig-zag track proved to be the highlight for us, despite the challenge of staying upright as we were tossed about inside the ball.

Overall, we found the experience to be enjoyable, though perhaps a tad pricey for what it offers. Wearing a shirt inside the Zorb is advisable to prevent any discomfort from the seams. The hot tubs provided a welcome relaxation spot while waiting for our turn. If budget isn't a concern and you've always harbored curiosity about rolling down a hill in a giant ball, it's certainly worth a try. However, having checked it off our bucket list, we don't feel compelled to repeat...

It was easy to get to on the main road 5 minutes from the town centre next to the Skyline Gondolas.

There was plenty of parking and we got our tickets quickly. The kids for the 3 ride combo which was $100 each.

Once they got in their swim gear there were spas for them to stay warm in, and lots of gas heaters.

A van ferried them to the top and another spa was at the top for them to stay warm. After their first run they all emerged with massive smiles on their faces. They dashed back into the spa to stay warm before going back to the top.

There was a bit of waiting between rides but this made the whole experience quite enjoyable and seemed like you got better value for money.

The parents all had coffees while watching and waiting under the gas heater's. Everyone commented on how good the coffees were. There were also bean bags, seats and blankets for the spectators or Zorbers.

There were 4 different tracks and they got to do a 3 track combo.

Each run was photographed by the official photographer. We thought this would be a $50 rip off like most tourist places but it only cost $10 for photos of all 6 kids from 3 different families. The photos were awesome as they used a high quality camera. We were emailed the link to 134 photos of them coming down the hill, inside the Zorb and just after they emerged with big smiles on their faces.

Afterwards there were changing rooms with hair dryers, heaters etc. Ice creams were also on sale in the ticket office.

There were plenty of adults doing it as well. I though you might tumble around a bit but the Zorb had a small amount of warm water added so the people inside just floated along flat and straight as the Zorb spun around them, so no one tumble around.

The kids had an awesome time and so did the parents relaxing...