Disneyworld is seriously overrated is what I’ve decided
after our final Loyola trip to Rotorua and Taupo. Disneyworld works really hard
to take you on all these magical rides, adventures, and journeys, but really
they are all just crafted and fake. All I have to say is if you want a real
life experience of rides with thrills take my advice and go to the following
four places for some extraordinary times that are out of this world (or at
least they aren’t in the US).
Waitomo Glow Worm Caves
On our first day in Taupo we visited the famous Waitomo Glow
Worm Caves; they were truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Upon entering, the
caves blew a fresh breathe of cool air my way that tingled my spine. In two
very different ways were these caves giving me the chills. As our guide led us
through I couldn’t help but marvel at all these stalagmites and stalactites posing
ever so stilly for me. He explained to us how if we looked at certain ones we
could make out different images. He showed us one set of stalactites that very
closely resembled the castle of Hogwarts. Pressing onwards he brought us deeper
into a back part of the cave. As the darkness encircled us, and our eyes
adjusted, all of a sudden all these brightly glowing glow worms began to pierce
our eyes. Our guide warned us that we were in for a lot more than what we were
just seeing, and guaranteed us we were about to take the boat ride of our
lives. Turning down a different corridor the darkness cackled in our faces and
became quiet daunting. Not really quiet sure where I was being led, I managed
to make my way into a boat of sorts. I can’t say that I can explain it because
I couldn’t see anything. As the boat pushed off through the water there was
dead silence. The air the water both
eerily crept along with us. When I looked above me though, absolute amazement
took over. It was a sight that I have never seen before and will always
remember, millions and millions of glowing specs on the cave ceilings, the glow
worms. Cameras weren’t allowed inside so sadly I have no pictures to share. But
trust me; it is worth going and seeing for yourself.
Hukajet
New Zealand has this pretty cool invention that is what they consider to be a
jetboat. While this might sound pretty lame and boring, it certainly is quite
the opposite. These jetboats use they water they are on to propel themselves
forward by ejecting a jet stream of water out of the back. When it comes to
shallow waters they come in very handy. The jetboat we went on was called the
Hukafalls Jet, since it was taking us to see the Huka Falls. The second day of
our trip, in Rotorua, we went on this boat. Once we were all on the boat our
driver told us that if we saw him put his finger up in a circling motion that
we were to hold on, it was going to be one hell of a crazy ride. During that
whole ride to the falls it was if nature was out for some skin. Trees kept
jumping out at us, shallow waters teased us, and rock walls laughed right in
our faces. Our driver, one could say, was pretty skilled in cutting it just
close enough in order to get a rise of thrilling/scared excitement out of us.
Once we got to the falls, we saw another jetboat splurging right into the
rapids. Our driver took it as a challenge to do it better. Never have I ever
been up that close and personal to the main attraction of the day. I’m glad he
took the challenge.
Zorbing
What in God’s name is zorbing you may be asking yourself right now. Well only
one of New Zealand’s greatest inventions that the rest of the world is
certainly missing out on. For me, this was the highlight of day 3 in Rotorua.
For all of you kiddies who don’t know what zorbing is, allow me to grace you
with my knowledge. Zorbing is the recreational sport of going downhill in what
is essentially a giant hamster ball made out of plastic. For us we had two
options of different zorb experiences to partake in. The first was being strapped
in, so, as the ball rotated so did you. The second option was not being
strapped in, and having water splashed in, so that as you rolled down the hill
you were sloshed around everywhere (the more fun option). Naturally we all
chose option #2, and got in pairs of three to go down. Zorbing, this was an
experience like no other. It was almost as if we were going down a water slide,
which course had no set direction and could change as it pleased. The ball
would chuck us one way and then spin us around so that we were going another.
It threw us for a loop of utter un-expectance. For the last group going down,
the people working there told us we were all going to run up the hill and lay
down so that this zorb would run us all over. As we all lay down on the grass,
the giant zorb bellowed toward us. Did it hurt? No. Should you try it? Yes.
Skyline Rotorua Luge
Okay, so yes I do know one can do luges in the US as well, however I can guarantee that luging anywhere in the US is not going to have the same beautiful scenery that you will find here in New Zealand. On our fourth and final day in Rotorua we all got to experience their skyline luge. Carried to the top of a mountain by a Gondola, the city of Rotorua gifted to us a picturesque view of its scenic volcanic wonderland. With this view in sight, blatantly distracting our minds, our luges raced us downhill through the forests at top speeds (or well whichever speed you decided, as you were in control of that). With the track twisting and turning us about in all different directions, my only wish is that it had been longer. New Zealand has certainly spoiled and treated me to the fullest. Luging anywhere else is never going to be the same.
New Zealand has this pretty cool invention that is what they consider to be a
jetboat. While this might sound pretty lame and boring, it certainly is quite
the opposite. These jetboats use they water they are on to propel themselves
forward by ejecting a jet stream of water out of the back. When it comes to
shallow waters they come in very handy. The jetboat we went on was called the
Hukafalls Jet, since it was taking us to see the Huka Falls. The second day of
our trip, in Rotorua, we went on this boat. Once we were all on the boat our
driver told us that if we saw him put his finger up in a circling motion that
we were to hold on, it was going to be one hell of a crazy ride. During that
whole ride to the falls it was if nature was out for some skin. Trees kept
jumping out at us, shallow waters teased us, and rock walls laughed right in
our faces. Our driver, one could say, was pretty skilled in cutting it just
close enough in order to get a rise of thrilling/scared excitement out of us.
Once we got to the falls, we saw another jetboat splurging right into the
rapids. Our driver took it as a challenge to do it better. Never have I ever
been up that close and personal to the main attraction of the day. I’m glad he
took the challenge. Zorbing
What in God’s name is zorbing you may be asking yourself right now. Well only
one of New Zealand’s greatest inventions that the rest of the world is
certainly missing out on. For me, this was the highlight of day 3 in Rotorua.
For all of you kiddies who don’t know what zorbing is, allow me to grace you
with my knowledge. Zorbing is the recreational sport of going downhill in what
is essentially a giant hamster ball made out of plastic. For us we had two
options of different zorb experiences to partake in. The first was being strapped
in, so, as the ball rotated so did you. The second option was not being
strapped in, and having water splashed in, so that as you rolled down the hill
you were sloshed around everywhere (the more fun option). Naturally we all
chose option #2, and got in pairs of three to go down. Zorbing, this was an
experience like no other. It was almost as if we were going down a water slide,
which course had no set direction and could change as it pleased. The ball
would chuck us one way and then spin us around so that we were going another.
It threw us for a loop of utter un-expectance. For the last group going down,
the people working there told us we were all going to run up the hill and lay
down so that this zorb would run us all over. As we all lay down on the grass,
the giant zorb bellowed toward us. Did it hurt? No. Should you try it? Yes. Skyline Rotorua Luge
Okay, so yes I do know one can do luges in the US as well, however I can guarantee that luging anywhere in the US is not going to have the same beautiful scenery that you will find here in New Zealand. On our fourth and final day in Rotorua we all got to experience their skyline luge. Carried to the top of a mountain by a Gondola, the city of Rotorua gifted to us a picturesque view of its scenic volcanic wonderland. With this view in sight, blatantly distracting our minds, our luges raced us downhill through the forests at top speeds (or well whichever speed you decided, as you were in control of that). With the track twisting and turning us about in all different directions, my only wish is that it had been longer. New Zealand has certainly spoiled and treated me to the fullest. Luging anywhere else is never going to be the same.
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