Old enough to know better, but I'm still too young to care (Rotorua, NZ) - 21 - 23 December 2008

(Alternative titles:  "Man-Hamster?", "Two sheep enter, one sheep leaves!")

On the off chance that you don't know, New Zealand is a hot spot for "Extreme" sports/activities.  It's the birthplace of bungy jumping and it seems like every town has at least two or three different activities available where you can risk life and limb in exchange for a few ducats.

The first time we came to Rotorua I saw pamphlets for something called a Zorb featuring the tag-line of "Be the Hamster" and glossy photos of people in a giant sphere, rolling down the side of a hill.  I was fascinated by the idea, but didn't do it.  I guess I was more responsible then.

Since that first visit, the Zorb has spread throughout the world, and was even featured in a Toyota commercial:

And I'm glad to say that this time both of us completed a zorb ride - although it really was a passive activity in our case.  They keep a list of people who manage to stay upright in the zorb but neither one of us stayed on our feet through the first curve.  It's still fun, though.

After the Zorb, we went to see the Agrodome sheep show.  We skipped it last time we were here, although Jen saw the show with her friend Cari when they came to New Zealand in 2003.  It takes about an hour, during which they introduce you to the different sheep in New Zealand, show you how they shear a sheep, and basically fulfill any lingering need you might have for sheep trivia.  Like most of these shows it caters to both little kids and Japanese tourists.  Evidently I'm about 30 years too old to be picked to milk a cow.  And yes, I'm still bitter.  Here's a picture of Jen being accosted by a sheep:

After that, we went to Skyline Skyrides where we both rode the luge and I rode the skyswing.

The next day we visited the Kiwi Lumberjack show, where Jen got picked for a log cutting competition.  She won, of course.  Unfortunately technical difficulties prevent me from uploading the video.  Maybe once we're somewhere with better connectivity.

And here's her prize:

After the show we toured the farm, and then we went to the Blue Lake on the outside of town.  It was very busy with people swimming and boating during their Christmas vacation, but once we got past those areas the path was quite peaceful.

For our evening's entertainment we attended the Te Po culture show.  This is the second one of these Jen's done, and she thought it was the better of the two.  At Te Po they actually pull audience members up on stage and let them participate.  There's actually video of me doing the Haka (or more accurately failing to do the Haka) but since this is my blog it's not going to be published here.

All in all an eventful and fun visit to Rotorua.