MAN'S greatest dream has always been to fly like a bird. Rolling along in a big ball like an enormous hamster comes a little lower on the list. But that's the latest craze to arrive on these shores from New Zealand, home of extreme sports.

There's evidently very little to do in the Land of the Long White Cloud other than be a Lord of the Rings extra, because those crazy Kiwis have already invented bungee jumping, jet-boating, and velcro wall-jumping sport the barfly.

Their new adventure experience is Zorbing - climbing into a giant inflatable PVC ball, being strapped in, and being rolled down a hill. The rider - or Zorbonaut - is fastened in by a harness in a smaller ball inside the three metre high inflatable ball, so there's no danger of injury.

About 70cm of air cushions the Zorbonaut from the ground at all times. And rolling head-over-heels downhill, the landscape rolling and pitching as the Zorb throws you every which way, is certainly a unique experience.

The ball can reach speeds of up to 50km per hour, which wouldn't be especially fast in a car but when you're rotating and bouncing along the landscape with no idea which way is up can seem excessively speedy. And if that's not extreme enough, the daring can try Hydro Zorbing, where the Zorbonaut is not harnessed in, but has a couple of buckets of cold water for company.

Basic physics means that both rider and water remain at the bottom of the Zorb, and intuition suggests that finally man will know the mystery of what it's like to be part of a washing machine's rinse cycle.

It's described as being a "cross between a roller coaster and a waterfall" and is one of the few watersports you can enjoy on dry land.

It's also recommended as a hangover cure, and don't worry - there are no recorded incidents of in-Zorb upchuck.

The nearest Zorbing centre to Wales is based at Swanage, Dorset, and boasts a 300m course - the longest in Europe.

To book or for more information call Zorb South UK on 01929 426595. The Chepstow Outdoor Activities centre also offers a 'zorbing' experience with its Spheremania balls.

Contact the centre on 01291 629901 for more details or visit their website www.chepstowoutdooractivities.co.uk