I know that this special blog is a little behind when we visited but I wanted to give it the attention it deserved and as we are relaxing in Townsville I am taking the time to share the 'Paronella Experience'

Paronella Park is Jose Paronella's dream. Jose came out to Australia from Spain in the 1920s and worked as a cane cutter. He was an entreprenuer and bought up cane farms and sold them to acquire his fortune. He was here for about 10 years and then decided to return to Spain to marry his girlfriend he had left behind. Well after 10 years she had married someone else and so he asked her sister to marry him and she agreed only if he showed her around the world and built her a castle. He did both of these and returned to Mena Creek, bought a 5 acre plot of land beside the creek and falls and built his castle with a picnic area, tennis courts, bridges, a tunnel, a grand ballroom in his castle and he planted 7 500 different tropical plants and trees. He was the first person in Queensland to have a hydro electric system operating from the waterfall to power the castle and grounds (1933

He opened the grounds to the public in 1935. During that time the park has experienced floods, cyclones and a devastating fire. After Jose died, Jose's wife and son worked on the park until the son died at the age of 37 from a massive heart attack. The property was sold. The new owners abandoned the property after a really bad cyclone and flood and the property went to wreck and ruin.

A couple from WA then purchased the property and have worked tirelessly to restore the grounds for tourists to visit and enjoy. The hydro system has been overhauled by the current owners and provides all the power to the park including the caravan park.

For the $74 entry fee for both Tony and I, we were able to participate in the day tour, the night tour and camp on the grounds. We can revisit the park anytime in the next 2 years for free.......What a fantastic deal!

Hopefully the photos will give you some idea as to the reason that the park has received multiple Queensland tourism awards and is listed on their National Heritage list. It is the number one 'must see' attraction in Queensland.