Christmas Appeal: Zorb Rotorua’s sell-out Can for a Ride locals’ day is back for another year

It’s a day where a can of food doesn’t just help others – it sends you rolling downhill and feeling “like a kid again”.

Zorb Rotorua’s Can for a Ride day is back on December 14, giving locals the chance to swap non-perishable food for a Zorb ride while supporting the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal for the Salvation Army Foodbank.

The appeal launched on November 15 and runs for six weeks. It is supported by The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM.

Zorb Rotorua general manager Steph James said the event had become one of the most joyful days on their calendar, with people arriving clutching cans and leaving with wide smiles and soaked shirts.

Zorbing – rolling down a hill inside a giant inflatable ball – for the first time is “always epic”, James said.

For many adults, it was “the most they’ve laughed in I don’t know how long”, as it “unlocks your inner child”.

Kids get out of the Zorb saying, “That’s the best thing I’ve ever done”, she said.

James said locals’ day was a win for everyone in the community, with the pay-off working “both ways”.

It opens the door for people who can’t usually afford a Zorb ride (prices usually start at $49), while the foodbank receives essentials for families who may otherwise go without at Christmas.

Zorb Rotorua duty manager Scott Graham and the team are getting ready for another busy Can for a Ride locals' day. Photo / Annabel Reid

Last year, the locals’ day saw more than 2000 cans of food collected – a tally the team hopes to beat this year.

But James said people need to get in quick, with bookings selling out every year and messages already rolling in asking, “When’s your local day?”

Participants will choose a half-hour slot and will need to bring proof of a Rotorua address, as well as their cans to donate.

Donations need to be edible and useful for the foodbank, James said, meaning no pet food or “mystery cans”.

“It’s not just whatever’s been in your cupboard for the last 50 years,” James said.

Riders also need to bring swimwear, as the Zorbs are filled with water. James said many people fear they’ll tumble, but the water keeps you steady at the bottom.

James said the highlight for her comes after the rides wrap up, when the team counts the mountain of cans collected throughout the day.

Delivering them to the Salvation Army is the moment that’s “always pretty special”.

The event also doubles as an early test-run for Zorb’s busy summer season, giving the team a taste of the pace and energy that arrives with the warmer months.

With international visitors returning and strong bookings ahead, James said the team was expecting a big summer – but Can for a Ride remains one of the days they look forward to most.

Check the Zorb Rotorua Facebook page for Can for a Ride booking information.

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.