Now, everybody together - act surprised.
- Chris P
Ahhh, the old Covid excuse for, in my view, poor management, planning and oversight. It must be one of the most overused excuses these days. Many companies that laid off staff during the first lockdown have not rehired and are making the existing staff cover the shortfalls. Good for profits, not so good for service. But hey, it's all Covid's fault.
- Ross H
It's funny that in all my years I have never had a "budget overrun", but then of course I have worked to earn my money and budgeted accordingly. In my view, there are too many overpaid bureaucrats with no accountability and no consequence for incompetence in this country. Time for a cleanout?
- Patrick F
The future of Rotorua's "iconic" Rainbow Springs Nature Park is on a knife's edge as owner Ngāi Tahu Holdings decides whether to close it for good, ending its pandemic hibernation.
Read the full story: Rainbow Springs owners propose permanent closure
Sad news, but you have to question whether Rainbow Springs made enough effort to adapt their business to the new environment with Covid. Most Rotorua destinations re-opened after the 2020 lockdown and adapted to a domestic market, which seemed to offer enough for many to keep going. Rainbow Springs didn't do that, choosing instead to stay closed, so never really gave it a go in terms of adapting its business model. It has sat there since waiting for the world to return to normal - as we know, businesses that do that and don't adapt will not survive. Sad for the employees.
- Erin R
This is sad news, and I remember going there as a kid in the '70s so I have nice memories of the place, but more recently I looked at taking my kids there but had to skip it because of the price, which I couldn't justify at the time on my pay. I think they catered a lot for the foreign market, at the expense of the domestic, and now it's come back to bite them.
Open up for domestic tourism and you might be surprised at how many would come, I for one.
- Jeremy T
No point in shedding any tears. This is what many NZer's are happy to accept as collateral damage for keeping the borders closed for so long.
- Alan R
As a boy in Auckland in the early 1960s, we had no car so didn't ever go out of town as a family. An Uncle and Aunty who had no children took my sister and me on two trips to Rotorua, the only childhood trips we ever had. Fairy Springs was the most amazing thing we had ever seen, and I think our enthusiasm for what we saw is why our Uncle and Aunty took us back for a second time. Very sad news.
- Brian M
Why have they remained closed for so long? We have been in the area twice since the pandemic began. Both Waiotapu and Rainbow Springs were closed, something we didn't find out until we saw empty car parks. No targeting the local market.
- Kirstie P
Would be such a shame to close such a beautiful place, as kids we visited it every month when we came to Rotorua to do our shopping, we lived on a farm in Galatea. We always looked forward to having a picnic lunch at this beautiful spiritual place. Very sad if they have to close.
- Joanna G
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