I had great memories of Rainbow Springs as a kid. Memories of the pools filled with trout have stuck with me for most of my life. So I was interested to see if the pools held the same magic they did when I was young. And they did. The pools are beautiful and the trout spectacular.
But Rainbow Springs is more than the springs itself. Their work with kiwi is spectacular and the kids enjoyed searching for kiwis in the night tunnel.
The tuataras were also a highlight, there is something amazing about these living dinosaurs and I get a thrill every time I see one – and there were heaps here! I wondered why there was a locust display as well then realised that they might also serve as the tuatara’s food.
I’m liking
I liked it all, the tui, kia, parakeets and heaps of other birds I can’t easily name. The bush is spectacular and I especially liked the little signs that told me a bit about some trees that I didn’t know much about.
The kids loved the big splash ride so much so they went for six rides, that’s almost an hour’s entertainment on its own but be warned you will get wet.
The playground next to the café was also great for the kids to run around in but the great ice cream cone’s from the café kept them close for a while.
Being able to go back in the evening and see the springs at night is a nice feature – we weren’t able to, but I suspect it will be even more magical.
The conclusion
Rainbow Springs lived up to my childhood memories and perhaps has even more magic when you visit as a parent with younger kids. I heard an Australian say that the bush was like some wonderland and think the description describes Rainbow Springs nicely.
