Thrills aplenty in Rotorua

The Zorb in Rotorua attracts thousands of people a year, who pay $30 to $45. Photo / Kelvin Teixeira

The city of boiling mud pools has a few surprises in store for the more daring tourist, writes Xavier La Canna.

My heart was in my mouth as I was hoisted in a harness 40 metres into the air and dropped towards the ground.

When I accepted an offer to go to Rotorua, I thought the town's only tourist attractions were piles of geo-thermally heated mud.

My views were outdated. The mud is still there, but Rotorua is recasting itself with an eye to the more daring, adventure-hungry travellers.

Here are four of the city's giddiest tourist ventures, all found at the Agrodome:

1) The Swoop: This is an idea borrowed from a similar ride in the United States, and is a slightly less scary proposition than a bungy jump. Up to three people fit into the harness and are saved from hurtling head-first into the ground by a swing-like contraption that pulls them in another direction at the last moment.

2) The Zorb: This is a Rotorua invention attracting thousands of people each year. "Zorbonauts' pay $30-$45 to climb into a small dome that has warm water pumped into it. The dome sits inside a larger sphere that is then rolled down a hill. It is like a spa bath except the water shoots out from above as well as below. Since beginning about 10 years ago zorbs have been exported to several countries and Zorb wranglers, as the operators call themselves, hope it will one day rival bungy jumping.

3)The Shweeb: This is Rotorua's newest thrill.

It consists of a monorail that has plastic pods hanging from it containing a seat and a bicycle-like contraption worked by lying down and peddling like crazy. The pod flying around the rail felt a little like a conventional showground ride but far more exhausting, and riders can adjust their own speed. It was a little claustrophobic inside the pods, which, according to the creators can reach speeds of up to 60km/h if you pedal fast.

4) Freefall Xtreme: This is touted as the Southern Hemisphere's only free-fall simulator. It allows people to get the feeling of jumping out of a plane while being only a few feet off the ground. It's not cheap at $70 for four minutes, but it's of fun. It works by sending up a powerful jet of air while the "passenger' lies on top of it, and is left to hang in mid-air. It takes time to get used to the feeling of weightlessness, but it was incredible while it lasted.

Xavier La Canna was a guest of Tourism New Zealand.

- AAP