Kiwi Inventions
When thinking of New Zealand, you can’t go past the fact that us Kiwis are a pretty creative and innovative bunch. Our ability to solve problems is also known as the No. 8 wire mentality. The No. 8 wire mentality is something that we as a nation are very proud of. The term represents the ability of Kiwi’s to innovate and create solutions to problems using whatever is available and our ‘can do anything’ attitude.
Other Kiwi Inventions
There have been so many great Kiwi inventions that are now used worldwide. We have put together a list of Ten Cool Kiwi Inventions. These inventions are just as quirky and awesome as our own great invention ZORB! Reading more about how these awesome inventions came to be make us extremely proud to be New Zealanders!
Most of these inventions have been created to solve a problem in a quirky way. Such as the Eggbeater and the disposable syringe, however there are a couple that make life just that little bit more fun – who doesn’t love Jet boat rides and Bungy Jumping!
The Process behind inventing ZORB
The process behind inventing ZORB is a perfect example of Kiwi ingenuity at its finest! From humble beginnings the concept of ball rolling was born. Add in a couple of Kiwi blokes with a crazy idea and the ZORB product is born.
The activity of ZORB is now classed as a worldwide phenomenon. As a result the term ‘Zorbing’ entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2001 where it was defined as: “a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills.” A pretty cool accolade for something invented right here in Rotorua!
Other inventions by Andrew and Dave
Andrew and Dave aren’t just the inventors of downhill ball rolling, the talented Akers brothers have also come up with a range of other quirky inventions and activities!
Before inventing downhill ball rolling, Andrew and Dave had a stint at board game developing. They created a new version of the popular game ‘Sorry’ which was picked up by Hasbro. Pretty impressive for two kiwi blokes.
Another great invention by the Akers brothers is the TOWGO. The first and only one of its kind in the world! The TOWGO was created to easily transfer the ZORB balls to the top of the hill.
New Zealanders are some of the most creative people in the world, especially with our No. 8 wire mentality and wanting to solve problems! At ZORB we think Kiwi Inventions are something that should be celebrated! Our own awesome activity was invented right here in Rotorua!
