By ELIZABETH BINNING
The first thing that hits you when you walk into the Butterfly House at Thames is the sweltering heat.
But, within seconds of entering the hothouse, the sight of hundreds of colourful butterflies playing in their enchanted garden makes the 31C heat seem to fade into the tropical
background.
Sky-blue butterflies flutter above a scenic lily-pond while bright orange specimens suck nectar from the yellow, red and purple flowers above the waterfall.
Chinese quails dig for food near the tropical foliage and large brown owl butterflies feast on sap from a tasty plate of rotting bananas.
The tropical Butterfly and Orchid Garden, which is maintained at about 30C to keep the butterflies alive, is the only one of its kind in the country. It is also the only garden in Australasia capable of displaying butterflies from all over the world.
Nestled besides a camping ground just north of Thames, the butterfly house, a popular tourist attraction, was started by Roger Gass and his wife, Sabine.
The couple, who emigrated from Switzerland for a change of lifestyle five years ago, wanted to start a business in which they could share their passions - butterflies and landscaping - with others.
"We didn't know if it was possible or not because there were no butterfly houses at that stage."
But after fighting plenty of red tape, the couple now proudly display more than 400 butterflies of 25 varieties.
Many of the delicate creatures are imported from Asia and South and Central America. Others are bred onsite. Maintaining the butterfly population is one of the most difficult parts of the business, especially since some species only live six days. Most will not survive more than a few months.
While keeping numbers up was time-consuming, Mr Gass said, the short lifespan meant the display was always changing.
The Gasses are seeking a new permit to import a greater variety of butterflies.
The garden is open every day.
