Set around native bush and the winding Ngongotaha Stream, this wildlife park pairs wild trout pools and native New Zealand animals with a pride of African lions housed in their own enclosure. Visitors can hand-feed friendly farm animals and see birds and freshwater springs, alongside an on-site water bottling plant. For children aged 8 to 14, there is a Junior Keepers programme run during school holidays. We hear the lion cubs born in late 2024 are now too old for public pats and encounters, though the pride remains on display.
The park operates in all weather and suits families wanting an unhurried, close-up look at local wildlife without the geothermal sulphur smell found closer to town. Gates open every day of the year from 8am until dark, with ticket sales and last entry strictly at 5pm. Allow one to two hours to walk the grounds, and there is ample free parking on site. You will find it on Paradise Valley Road in Waikite Valley, an easy ten- to fifteen-minute drive outside Rotorua city.