Rotorua, NZ Rainbow Springs

Rainbow Springs is Rotorua, New Zealand‘s 22 acre nature park. Come…visit with us.

Hint: Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Guides met our tour group with a Maori greeting. The fellow in front later remarked it takes four minutes in the Maori language to say what takes ten seconds in English.

So…welcome to Rainbow Springs.

Kiwis (the birds) are what I associate with New Zealand….so, when we learned this park advertises itself as “Where Kiwis Play” a visit to Rainbow Springs became a “must do”.

Guides helped us learn a lot about this shy bird.

There were displays to examine.

And then…a kiwi encounter.

We quietly entered a large darkened area where, once our eyes had adjusted, we tried to spot kiwis amongst the greenery. Our guide assured us they were there but not always that easy to spot.

We lucked out and spotted two kiwi.

Then we were taken into the nursery and brooding areas. Here we could observe from behind a glass partition. Kiwi conservation is an on-going process. What a wonderful facility to help.

And then…

Our tour group was invited into a special section of the park where we watched as a kiwi received its 3 month health check-up. Kiwis are only touched once in three months..and we were there to witness it close up. We were not allowed to touch…but the kiwi was literally only three feet away from me with its head tucked into the caregiver’s arm (kiwis are very shy). Thankfully the caregiver firmly held onto the legs of our kiwi as the sharp claws are effective weapons.

Possums are one of the reasons kiwis are becoming scarce in New Zealand.

Rather cute aren’t they? But they are not a kiwi’s friend!

Kiwi encounters are only one part of Rainbow Springs. We saw native birds, all kinds of fish (including wild rainbow trout in the Rainbow pool).

(Remember you can click on the photo to enlarge it. See the fish?)

Our delightful guide was particularly knowledgeable about all the reptiles…even making me see them as beautiful creatures.

Plants were everywhere. We were delighted to learn the Maori legend about the silver fern (research it if you are not aware of the legend. I know…homework. But it really is a lovely story.)

The tree is green, not silver…until you see the underside of the leaves in special light.

Think you could follow a fern lit path in the moonlight?Ah, now I understand the term “silver” fern.

A special treat was being able to touch a HUGE greenstone (in North America we call it jade).

Green tone is treasured by the Maori. (More homework…research the significance of green stone in the treaties signed by the Maori.) 

So, how did you enjoy our brief tour of Rainbow Springs?

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Happy travels!