ABOUT US
Paradise Valley Springs first opened to the public in 1939 as a trout springs.
The park was purchased from the original owners in 1975 and is a privately owned and operated Rotorua family business, with 100% of funds coming directly from our customers.
The trout are still here, and the last 40 years has seen the addition of a range of mammals and birds, as well as extensive developments and upgrades.
The park is set in a very natural and well-maintained New Zealand bush environment. We are fortunate to have a freshwater spring onsite that supplies the park with all of our water needs, along with an on display water bottling plant. The Ngongotaha Stream winds throughout our park, home to many wild trout.
All of the wildlife on display is found either wild (both native and introduced) or farmed around New Zealand - with the exception of our African lion pride and for this reason the lions are housed and displayed in a slightly separate area of the park.
We encourage hands on or close contact with many of our animals and hope to foster an appreciation and love for wildlife through connecting with animals, while also educating visitors about the challenges a lot of our native species are facing on a day to day basis. Since our first lion cub was born back in 1986 we have also offered the chance for visitors to interact with cubs when we have them.
HOW WE CARE FOR NEW ZEALAND
At Paradise Valley Springs we work hard to support our beautiful country by undertaking a number of environmental actions. Some of these you may notice, but many more go on behind the scenes.
We aim to protect and promote New Zealand’s wildlife and natural habitats. Our park is maintained in an environmentally sensitive way, which helps ensure native species and plants thrive, and that run-off from our property does not pollute streams and waterways.
Understandably, all businesses create environmental and social impact through their activities. Ours is no exception. In order to minimise our impact we try to ensure we use no more resources than our business requires.
We try to actively reduce any adverse effects through efficient use of any resources that we use - for example; electricity, water, packaging, office products etc. We recycle as much waste as possible to help reduce air and land pollution and reduce the amount going into our local landfill, while also re-using whatever we can.
PREDATOR CONTROL
Beginning around 700 years ago humans began to arrive in New Zealand - the Polynesians followed by the Europeans. At that time New Zealand had no land mammals except bats, and a range of animals have been introduced to our country since, some with disastrous affects.
Many of our native species had never dealt with mammals and are defenceless to protect themselves from the likes of rats, stoats and possums. We use various methods to control these and other introduced pests on our 48 acre property, making our slice of Paradise just a little bit safer for our wild inhabitants. Recent sound recordings have even confirmed the presence of native long-tailed bats flying around at night.
Only those businesses that are delivering a quality sustainable experience, who have safe principles and practices, and showcase true New Zealand hospitality, are recognised through a Qualmark endorsement (New Zealand tourism’s official quality assurance organisation).
We are Qualmark endorsed and have been awarded a silver sustainable tourism business award.
A Silver Award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Proactive leadership and management ensure that a culture of high performance is evident throughout the entire business. The business will have a real focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to ensure the tourism product they deliver is a genuine, constantly improving sustainable experience.
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