ROTORUA, New Zealand | As I tumbled down the mountainside in a giant beach ball filled with water, feeling like I was in a washing machine, it occurred to me that there had to be a better way to experience New Zealand.</p><p>Actually, that didn&rsquo;t occur to me until after the Zorb stopped rolling and my screams subsided into laughter.</p><p>But I have since concluded that while Kiwis may be best known for adventure tourism &mdash; including skydiving, bungee jumping, gliding and Zorbing &mdash; perhaps the most enriching part of my trip was the cultural tourism that taught me about the Maori.</p><p>Don&rsquo;t be fooled: &ldquo;Meeting&rdquo; a Maori tribe at a heritage center can be just as intimidating as thrill-jumping off Auckland&rsquo;s Skytower. What&rsquo;s the proper reaction when a tattooed, spear-carrying warrior bounds out of a house, shouts something in Maori at you, makes menacing faces and throws a leaf at your feet? Think fast, because that spear is sharp.</p><p>Centuries before white settlers came and called the country New Zealand, the Maori arrived in canoes at Aotearoa (Ay-oh-teh-RO&rsquo;-ah, meaning &ldquo;Land of the Long White Cloud&rdquo;), most likely from Polynesia.</p><p>And rugby fans may know of the haka, the Maori dance practiced by the All Blacks, the national rugby team, to rattle their opponents. The players chant in unison while rolling their eyes, slapping their arms and thighs, and thrusting their tongues &mdash; it&rsquo;s quite a sight.</p><p> We saw the haka performed at Te Puia, a Maori heritage center in Rotorua, after which tattooed warriors taught the dance to men in the audience. It was hardly frightening when the tourists tried to do it.</p><p>For Kiwis, it isn&rsquo;t enough to just look at the spectacular scenery &mdash; you must experience it. So we Zorbed: We wriggled into a 10-foot-tall inflatable sphere and promptly got pushed down a mountain. We chose a wet ride in which you&rsquo;re cushioned by a some water sloshing around inside the ball with you.</p><p>I took a pass on glacier heli-hiking. After all, my adrenaline got pumped enough by the spear-carrying Maori who threw down the leaf. The proper reaction, by the way, is to pick it up. They&rsquo;ll invite you in. Stay awhile &mdash; they make a mean feast.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">IF YOU GO </span></strong><br /> &bull;<strong>Te Puia Maori Arts and Crafts Institute</strong>: Rotorua, New Zealand; <a href="http://www.tepuia.com">www.tepuia.com</a>. Daytime guided tours, $29 ($40 New Zealand dollars); evening performance, including food, $72 ($99 NZD).</p><p>&bull;<strong>Waitangi Treaty Grounds</strong>: About a three-hour drive from Auckland; <a href="http://www.waitangi.net.nz/">www.waitangi.net.nz/</a>. Admission, $14.55 ($20 NZD); additional fees for themed tours and activities.</p><p>&bull;<strong>Zorb rides</strong>: Rotorua, New Zealand; <a href="http://www.zorb.com/rotorua">www.zorb.com/rotorua</a>. Water ride is $35.65 ($49 NZD).</p><p></div>