On our last trip, with Canadian rellies in tow, we made a couple of great new discoveries.
Mokoia Island was the surprise hit of the two-day trip. The island in the middle of Lake Rotorua is a conservation sanctuary famed for its part in the tale of ancient Maori lovers Hinemoa and Tutanekei. It is devoid of human inhabitants, thrilling rides, interactive displays, entertaining animals and icecream shops. And the boys are entranced.
Their enthusiasm is partly due to the much-loved, familiar story of Hinemoa's gutsy swim across the lake. In part, it is the boat ride they like. But the key to the success of this low-key adventure is the deeply knowledgeable guide who leads us around a small corner of the island, relaying occasionally gory yarns of old battles and poisonous plants, pointing out the hot pools where Hinemoa hid and weaving in the island's natural history.
She scratches on the forest floor to summon a black robin and pauses so we can hear the mournful cry of the kokako. She feeds us the legend of the saddleback - that distinctive red stripe on his back is a burn mark - and shows us the drying rocks, where human bodies were left to dehydrate before being eaten.
We finish with tastings of rewena bread and dips spiced with horopito.
This cultural richness does not come cheap, though. A three-hour trip is almost $250 for a family of four.
Paradise Valley Springs is the other new-to-us hit. The astonishingly well-manicured animal park has been owned and operated by the same family for more than 30 years and is downright pretty in parts.
Healthy-looking farm animals inhabit the paddocks and a spotless boardwalk meanders through native bush alongside a stream that writhes with fat trout. It is an ideal showcase for overseas guests, though our 8-year-old misses the point somewhat when he wishes aloud for his fishing rod. Signs along the elevated treetop walk explain which native plants were traditionally used for medicine, which make good spears. Our Canadians guests lap it up.
We fluke a great time to visit. Just before the adult lions' scheduled feeding time, visitors flock to the enclosure and leave remaining paths almost deserted. We miss the start of the feeding show but have no trouble sneaking close to the gnashing, roaring beasts as a young worker hurls hunks of horse meat over the fence. The 8-year-old wisely suggests his horse-mad friend, Kate, probably shouldn't see this.
It is worth shoving younger children to the front or sitting them on shoulders because the king of the cats put on an impressive show, with their echoey boat motor roars. The lions pounce and tear and rip a few metres in front of us.
The resident lion cubs are big now - the male has the beginnings of a mane - and we find their coats surprisingly coarse as we stretch hands gingerly through the cage to pat them. While the keeper maintains a close watch, it still feels slightly dangerous to expose flesh to the two young carnivores.
One of the newest attractions in town involves watching a tanned, well-muscled bloke clowning around with a chainsaw. Charming as that sounds, it's not really my thing. But my boys lap up the 45-minute Kiwi Lumberjack Show.
The 8-year-old spends large chunks of the show doubled over, red-faced and laughing at the staged antics and the teasing banter that runs back and forth. The 5-year-old is fascinated by the wood carving and adores the slapstick finale that knocks likeable star Ben off his moving log and into the water. The biggest boy - husband Marty - is equally amused. It must be a bloke thing, though I admit I love the gag involving the roadkill bunny. Out back, the farm animals can be petted and fed and a farm museum is under construction.
Across the road, the downhill luge tracks at Skyline Skyrides are as good as ever. Secretly, we parents decide the best way to enjoy this particular attraction is to leave the children at home so we can tackle the advanced track and "catch air" on the bumps. The scenic and intermediate level tracks are ideal for doubling smaller children and for cautious children like our oldest, who sets a slow-speed record.
Queues are long when we visit but an extra chairlift and more downhill tracks are promised for later this year. In the meantime, the best way to avoid lines is to be at the gate when it opens, at 9am.
There are no queues at the Buried Village, though the serene, green grounds are large enough to absorb busloads of people without jostling. The three youngest children in our party spend an hour trawling through the museum, thanks largely to a scavenger hunt-style quiz sheet from the front desk.
The trio, all aged between 5 and 7, are intrigued by the tales of a village obliterated by a deadly volcanic eruption more than 120 years ago. They hunt for a baby's shoe and a man's bowler hat in one exhibit, they watch short movie clips and examine old photographs, wide-eyed. Outside, they run between the excavated remains of old buildings, searching for items on their worksheets. Then they feed a couple of fat trout - get fish food with admission - in the stream that babbles and winds through the property before plunging 30m down a rock face.
In Las Vegas, the grand Wynn casino boasts a man-made, back-lit cascading waterfall that's almost as tall. We'll take real-life Rotovegas any day.
BURIED VILLAGE OF TE WAIROA
Tarawera Rd, (07) 362 8287, www.buriedvillage.co.nz, $52/Family.
KIWI LUMBERJACK SHOW
171 Fairy Springs Rd, ph 0800 AXEMAN, www.kiwilumberjack.co.nz, $45/family or $60 including the farm walk.
PARADISE VALLEY SPRINGS
467 Paradise Valley Road, ph (07) 348 9667, www.paradisev.co.nz, $65/family.
SKYLINE SKYRIDES
Fairy Springs Rd, ph (07) 347 0027, $80/family for gondola transport and six luge rides, www.skylineskyrides.co.nz.
WAI ORA MOKOIA ISLAND
0800 MOKOIA, www.mokoiaisland.com, from $175/family for the shorter tour.
* For more Rotorua information, see www.rotoruanz.com
