Paradise Valley Springs: The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly.

**The entrance to Paradise Valley Spring.**

Paradise Valley Springs is found at the end of a long windy road, before you enter the township of Rotorua. The main selling point of this place for many travellers is the fact that there are lions. And let’s face it, people love lions. Just look at the success of Lion King.

This post will be spilt in tone. I did not know what I was getting into when I arrived; I believed this was an animal reserve. But, similar to that girl in a horror movie who wanders into a haunted house and believes it is simply a normal everyday house; I got the shock of my life. I found my body in the bathtub or so to speak.

**My metaphor for my horror moment at Paradise Springs.**

The Good

The trout are numerous at Paradise Springs. Swimming along in a mess of browns, rainbows, and greens, they appear happy. Though I am unsure on what an unhappy trout looks like. You can follow them on their journey, from little fingerlings to huge adult trout. You can view them in the spring pools, swimming idyllically in the crystal clear water, in the Ngongotaha Stream which runs through the park, or in an underground cavern, that has a viewing window where you can stare a trout right in the eye. Just do not look up, as there are about a million spiders hanging over your heads.

Birdlife is also abundant here. The ducks who call this place home are safe from duck hunters in the area. As I was having a close encounter with a male paradise duck, a man walked past me muttering how the only good duck was a dead duck. So, going from that local viewpoint it may be a good thing that these guys are cloistered in Paradise Springs. You will have the opportunity to walk over a boardwalk over a pond where you will meet Paradise Ducks, Mallard Ducks, Scalps, and the Grey Teal. I had never meet a nosier paradise duck than in these wetlands. He was honking up a storm.

After being serenaded by my Casanova the paradise duck, you walk into the farm yard. Llamas with melt your heart eyes, a stroppy miniature horse who also doubles as an escape artist, a goat who likes to try and eat your scarf or really anything on your person, and a sheep with her gorgeous lambs are some of the animals you will meet on your way through the farmland section of Paradise Springs.

A word of warning; do not put your hand in with Spring, the miniature horse. She may give you a little love bite. And she also should not be feed as it is bad for her stomach; she is on a special miniature horse diet. Same goes for the baby alpaca; do not let those gooey eyes charm you. Keep the food away from that bundle of mischief.

The Bad

Three little piggies went to market, ahem, I mean Paradise Springs. Paradise Springs is home to three black pigs, who I encountered after following a screaming noise straight to this enclosure. The screaming turned out not to be a human being murdered as I originally thought, rather a baby pig being bullied by a huge daddy pig. There was something a bit disturbing about watching these fellas. The papa pig and mama pig kept stepping on the baby pig which in due course caused the baby to sequel like it was dying. And then this would be repeated, whenever someone threw food into the enclosure. I ended up wanting to adopt said pig as my child; think that scene in Alice in Wonderland.

The birds in the aviary were depressing. It was home to a number of native birds, including Kereru, Kakariki, Tui, and Kea. The kea are in a walk through aviary kind of deal. Where vistors can walk through their home and get close and personal with the kea, while avoiding banana skins on the ground, the remains of a kea breakfast. The other native birds are all kept in one single aviary, a mix match of colour flashing through the wire cage; with bright green kakariki, olive green Kereru, and Tuis. I do not know the stories of these birds; I would like to. As I can not understand why they would be kept in these kind of cages.

But, what really turned me off, is this sentence “as well as our display birds”, which I found on the Paradise Valley website in description of the Kereru. I hate this idea of these birds being seen as ornaments; as display pieces for the vistors. Kereru are native birds that should be off in the wild getting drunk on berries and clumsily dive landing in a tree somewhere. Not as display birds.

The Ugly

If you wish to end your trip here with a lovely dose of depression, wander over to the lion exhibit. An area that houses eight lions, all in a cage that is a little too reminiscent of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp for my liking. The older lion who I later found out was called Max was pacing the fence. His eyes look dead. He got down on his knees and gave a big yawn. Nearby family found this delightful, and one man thought that the lion was bowing at him. The king of the jungle bows to noone, but in this space all the rules are out the window. And, the lion is no king, rather a jester for human amusement.

I wished for a moment that I was Harry Potter in that zoo scene, where he disappeared the glass for the snake. I wished I could disappear that fence.

Paradise for humans. Definitely. Paradise for animals. That is for you to decide. Animal tourism in New Zealand may not be as outwardly cruel as some other countries, but in my opinion sticking lions into a cage surrounded by a electric fence, a cage specifically designed for human viewing pleasure, rather than animal pleasure, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I will not be recommending this place. Go up the road to Wingspan instead.

The Cold Hard Facts:

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Location: 467 Paradise Road, Rotorua, New Zealand

Pricing:

ADULT: $30.00

CHILD: $15.00
(5-15 years inclusive)

PRE-SCHOOL: Free
(4 years and under)

FAMILY PASS: $82.50
(2 adults & 2 children aged 5-15 years)

You can purchase food for the farm animals as well as the trout/ducks. It is $2 a bag. Or you can get two bags and a cup, for $5.

Hours: Open everyday, 8am-until dark. Last entry at 5pm.

Amenities: Toilets are onsite. There is also a cafe which serves coffee, hot chocolate and also some food, such as pies and sandwiches. No vegan options from what I could see. There is also a gift shop for all your animal souvenirs, magnets and fluffy keychain needs.

Website: https://www.paradisev.co.nz/