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The Weekend Sun
‘Super Hero’ themed holiday programme Once again St Columba Presbyterian Church in Cherrywood is organising its popular holiday programme for primary school children aged 5-11 years.
Explore Rotorua’s adventure park Rainbow Springs in Rotorua is well located for a day trip from Tauranga. Next to Skyline Gondola and Luge, the park is open day and night, offering a range of school holiday options from feeding the birds their breakfast, to a night adventure with the parkies. With an exciting new range of colourful and noisy birds now on display, the park has plenty to keep children interested these holidays. The café serves a children’s menu and great fluffies as well as a decent cappuccino for mum and dad. Opened in 1932, Rainbow Springs is a snapshot of our wilderness in the bustling tourist town of Rotorua. For years generations have brought their children and grandchildren to visit the birds, fish and reptiles that have made the park their home.
‘Living Legend’ is a fun, interactive programme based around a ‘Super Hero’ theme and on some of the miracles of Jesus. As usual, the programme is led by the church’s teenage team supported by enthusiastic adults. The programme consists of DVD clips, games, challenges, songs and stories for the first hour, followed by an excellent morning tea. The second hour is spent on arts and crafts with
paint, paste, glue, socks, boxes and other interesting things, so please wear old clothes as things will get messy. The programme is held in the church hall during the second week of the holidays. It’s on July 26-28, Tuesday to Thursday, from 9.30am to 12pm. A gold coin donation is requested. Registration forms have been circulated round schools and are available in the church foyer. For more information phone Sally at the church office on 576 6756 between 9.30am and midday or Barbara on 576 6274.
With the new Big Splash Project underway, the face of the park will change when a new water ride and free flight bird show opens in early 2012. Offering a more interactive experience, the new features will be complemented by a children’s interactive playground, expanded café and upgraded reptile facility. The Kiwi Encounter facility continues to impress visitors with its great work of saving the kiwi. By hatching eggs collected from the wild, a kiwi chick’s chances of survival are increased when the egg incubated and hatched at Kiwi Encounter is released back into the bush when they are about six months old. The Behind the Scenes Kiwi Encounter tour is an additional $5 and shows the incubation, hatch and rearing process of the kiwi. Lucky visitors get to see one hatch.
School Holidays @ Rainbow
Springs, Rotorua
There’s something for everyone at Rainbow Springs over the school holidays - day and night!
Every day of the School Holidays, become a Rainbow Springs Parky and feed our birds their breakfast. Monday to Sunday both weeks, 7.30am – 10.00am.
Catch up with our Park Manager Mark, out in the Park with some of our locals and have your photo taken with them! Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons between 2.00pm and 3.00pm.
Meet our very smart kaka and kea! See them learn and play at lunchtime.
Bring your family, warm clothes and a sense of adventure to meet some of our locals - by night. Sunday to Wednesday nights (inclusive) both weeks, 6.00pm - 7.30pm.
Tuesday both weeks at 12.30pm
* Adventure $7.50 additional to Park Admission
Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua • 0800 RAINBOW (724 626)
www.rainbowsprings.co.nz/whatson
Age and group size limitations apply. Bookings essential.