Day 20: ZORB!!

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April 27
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After getting the rear inner tube out, it looks like there's a puncture in the rubber just above the air valve. I try patching it with no success. I pick up two spares from Bike Culture and blow one of them by putting too much air in. I figured that might be a risk, but my other tube seemed to take the pressure, and I need these things pumped up well since I'm going long distances on the road. I'm more careful with the second one. After another trip to bike culture to pick up another spare tube and have them cut my brake cable and pop a cap on it, I'm off.

About 12km later, I stop at the previously alluded to ZORB. Zorb is a ride of sorts where they stick you in a giant inflatable sphere and roll you down a hill at high speed. Apparently they can either fill the sphere with water or strap you to the side, and you can get rolled down a straight path or a zig-zag path. Disclaimers warn that "ZORB is an athletic activity and as such involves risk of injury." I watch a few balls go down and it doesn't seem to live up to the hype. Everyone getting out of the balls seems to have had a blast though, so after watching for a bit to build it up, I go to the computer terminals, answer a bunch of questions, have my mugshot taken, and go over to the counter to pay.

"Do you have discount vouchers?" The Maori guy at the counter asks me. I do not, but nevertheless decide to play coy. "I don't know, do I have any discount vouchers?" He asks me where I slept last night. "Oh, you know, around." He begins to rattle off accomodations until I hear Rotorua Treks, and I tell him I stayed there, because I did. The result of this is that I paid $6 less than I would have.

I have selected the ZORB "zydro" ride, so I change into my swimsuit and hop in the shuttle to the top of the hill. The dude driving the van is american, he's learning how the operation here runs because he's going to be running the new smoky mountains zorb in tennessee. I get to the top, and after watching a couple go down, I'm told to dive in the zorb like superman. it's too foggy to see anything outside, but it's pretty damn fun and feels like it lasts at least slightly longer on the inside. you definitely slide around quite a bit.

ZORB: more fun than it looks
Upon re-entering the world, I am told to jump up and down and strike funny poses for pictures. I look at them on the computer monitor, and they are very amusing but I don't pay the 25 bucks for the privilege of owning them.

The zorb dudes ask me where I'm going next. I don't honestly know. I look at their map and I decide I'm going to tauranga and they advise that I take pyes pa road. I learn how to pronounce ngongataha. (NON-gata-HA), They warn me that it's really hill and windy, but then again most roads in new zealand aren't flat, as I've already found out. As I ride through the mangorewa gorge scenic reserve area, I find out what they mean. It's curvy and steep as all hell. plus a little wet. It is pretty though. I decide to turn back to camp at spot I scouted earlier, and am offered a lift by a guy in a van. I tell him to drop me off just down the road. His name is Simon, friendly guy in mid to late twenties. It's quite an adventure setting everything up, I selected this spot for its proximity yet in accessibility from the road. I have to find a path around a large clay pit, through huge bushes of brambles. Even the ground is not solid in places, my foot falls through up to my calf in brambles at one point. I walk back quite a bit in the pitch black, simon was telling me this is a logging area and I think there's something of a path that's been cut through the bush. I set up camp about 200 meters in, and have to make several trips to get all my bags and bike to my designated site. During all the commotion someone sees my flashing tail light and pulls over ask if I'm allright. I tell him everything's sweet as, I've just pulled over to take a piss. It's still drizzling, so everything's a little wet, but I heat up my stove and eat some macaroni and cheese from can, cleaning up as best I can so as not to disturb the spirits (or attract any wetas).

Bush camping!