About Mark & Heather
After living on a lifestyle block south of Auckland for 20 years and with the children gone, we decided it was time for a change of pace from the corporate commuter lifestyle. We purchased the property now known as Paradise Valley Lodge in 2006 and embarked on the mission of developing the property into a relaxing country retreat offering affordable guest accommodation. Surrounded by hills, farmland and trees, we love the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere - even though we are so close to Rotorua. We both have a passion for gardening and are developing our 1 3/4 acres of farmland into lawns and gardens with pathways leading down to the stream. The garden is constantly evolving and changing and our regular guests are always excited to see the changes since their last visit - it’s often the first thing they look at on arrival. Mark’s other passion is trout fishing (and golf) so finding a property with such a great trout stream at the bottom of the garden was definitely his idea of paradise. He particularly enjoys sharing his local knowledge with the many trout fishermen who come to stay. Naturally, living in such an idyllic setting we are interested in improving the environment and have an active involvement in the local stream care group. This mainly involves controlling bird predators and planting of native trees along the stream banks. Subsequently we have noticed a significant increase in the birdlife visiting the garden and our guests enjoy hearing the bellbirds and tuis. We would love you to come and enjoy our piece of country paradise - we look forward to sharing it with you. Warm regards Mark and Heather