Nostalgia ran high on Facebook comments on posts of the story of the possible closure, with people saying they used to visit when they were younger, and have been able to visit with their children or grandchildren.
Others are asking why it is closed and did not try to target local and domestic markets. A valid question, in my view.
Ngāi Tahu's decision to put the park into hibernation at the very outset of the lockdown surprised me.
Perhaps it did not see the benefit of staying in a holding pattern during lockdown, despite the Government offering financial support for businesses.
At the time, management cited a loss of revenue, and "even when the industry does eventually re-establish, it is expected to take a long time to recover".
But when tourism does eventually return, these visitors need places to visit.
It seems such a shame that they could potentially miss out on an attraction that has been a visitor must-do since the 1930s.
With other large-scale tourism operations such as Te Puia, Skyline and Hell's Gate able to continue, albeit without knowing what could happen, it seemed to puzzle me that Rainbow Springs remained closed.
Perhaps Ngāi Tahu could have targeted the domestic market when the first lockdown was over? While the international market was still locked out, Kiwis were choosing to travel within New Zealand.
Of course, we're not privy to Rainbow Springs' operational factors that may affect its bottom line or just how many visitors were in fact from New Zealand pre-Covid.
But it seems Bay of Plenty locals are appealing to Ngai Tahu's sense of nostalgia and compassion for this much-loved attraction.
While we have our eyes firmly set on later in the year when it is hoped we can welcome back our international visitors, I hope Ngāi Tahu can consider the city's fondness for the park and hold out until then too.
I hope this iconic attraction can be saved for the sake of Rotorua.
