It's not every day that you get to see a lion up close and personal.
Thanks to a discounted admission offer we took the family for a drive out of Rotorua through rural countryside to a wildlife park.
For me it was as much to check out a tourist attraction as it was to see the animals, but I was pleasantly surprised.
We brought lunch with us and had that outside in the picnic area before entry and starting our 2 circuits of the park. We easily spent several hours there.
If you are heading to Paradise Valley Springs Wildlife Park take an empty bottle to collect your very own fresh-from-the-source spring water.