» Sport

Go Zorbing

Experience — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:23:33 +0000

For an adventure ride that puts a whole new spin on things and is like nothing you’ve every experienced before, you have to give Zorbing a go.

Zorbing (also known as sphereing) is the sport of rolling down a hill at speed inside a giant inflatable ball. The Zorb is an 11 foot (3.5 metre) high inflatable sphere which you ride inside (a person zorbing is called a zorbonaut). Two feet of air protect you from the ground as you Zorb down the hill at speeds of up to 50 kilometres (31 miles) per hour.

There are two types of zorb rides: harness and hydro. In the harness ride you are securely harnessed inside the Zorb for a wild ride down the hill. Once you start rolling down the hill, you feel a strange sensation of weightlessness and watch the ground and sky go spinning past. The Hydro ride has no harness and water is thrown in so that you (and a friend or two) can slip, slide and spin inside the Zorb all the way down the hill. In winter, warm water is used for a lovely spa-type experience. Its like a cross between a waterside and a rollercoaster.

Zorbing was invented in New Zealand in the early 1990s and first set up in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island. Since then Zorb has rolled into England, the mountains of Norway, the middle of Sweden, the Gold Coast in Australia, the alpine hills of Switzerland, to China the USA (Smoky Mountains) and Argentina.

So if your after a crazy, adrenaline-filled adventure ride, try the Zorb experience.

Surf the Pipeline in Hawaii

Experience — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:58:40 +0000

Endless sun, pristine beaches, and monster waves. Hawaii, the home of surfing, is America’s surfing Mecca, and one of the premiere surfing destinations the world over.

Hawaii has great surf most places, but if you want to call yourself a world class surfer you have to make it on the North Shore of Oahu. The North Shore covers almost 20 miles (32 kilometres) of beautiful open sandy beaches, including legendary beaches like Sunset Beach, Ehukai Beach, and Pupukea Beach, and where you will find the world famous Banzai Pipeline. A spot where the shallow water and coral shelf combine to create powerful tubular waves that resemble pipes, thus giving the place its name. For sheer adrenaline, power, beauty and danger, Pipeline has no equal. Surfing the Pipeline is an invigorating experience, but you’ll have to wait in line to ride some of the incredibly huge waves that break on these shores. And if the surf’s up, beware! The Pipeline at full strength is unforgiving, even for the pros.

If you’ve never surfed before and associate beaches with tanning and people watching, you might be inspired by the daredevils who tempt fate to take on these enormous masses of moving water. It might look difficult, however after a few lessons find a quieter beach with smaller surf and you’ll be able to check surfing in Hawaii off your list of things to experience in life.

On the other hand if you’re up for surfing action, but aren’t up for tackling the big Hawaiian waves yourself, head there in December to watch the spectacle of surfing when the best surfers in the world battle it out at Pipe Masters.

Experienced and beginner surfers alike lose themselves in the ebb and flow of the waves that crash against the shores of the Hawaiian Islands. More than just the dizzying feeling you get as you climb out of the rolling waters, the experience of surfing in Hawaii brings your soul closer to the islands. Surfing in Hawaii is an athletic, spiritual and cultural activity, which combine to create a quintessential Hawaiian experience.

Run the City to Surf

Experience — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 05:16:03 +0000

Starting from humble beginnings back in 1971 the annual City to Surf fun run in Sydney has grown to become the must-do road running race in Australia, and the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere attracting over 50,000 participants each year.

The 14 kilometre (8.7 miles) run starts in the centre of Sydney near Hyde Park and finishes at Australia’s most famous beach, Bondi beach.

The race is open to all ages and levels of fitness. While some take the race very seriously, many participants make it a fun day out dressing up in themed costumes, stopping off at the many watering holes (pubs) along the way while enjoying the numerous amateur bands performing along the road as they run, walk or stroll to the finish line at Bondi Beach.