If you live in Australia and are a fan of travel shows, and magazines or you’ve travelled through Queensland, you’ve probably heard of, and seen photos of Paronella Park.

Even if you’ve never been there, I’ll bet some parts of the story have crept into your consciousness, just like the moss has crept over the concrete balustrades of this Catalonian style concrete castle set in a Queensland rainforest. 

What you probably already know is that this European castle like building is in Mena Creek, a locality about 19 kilometres south of Innisfail, in north Queensland. It was the fulfilment of a dream of Spanish migrant Jose Paronella, who purchased this 13 acre plot of land next to the Mena Creek Falls and built not only a castle, but picnic areas, stairways, a ballroom and more.

After a series of jobs, Jose eventually made his money from buying and selling cane farms after making improvements to them, and he was a savvy businessman and entrepreneur. He also had a romantic and I think, philanthropic side too. His dream was to bring his fiancée out to Australia from northern Spain and together build his dream castle. Unfortunately for Jose, when he returned to Spain with this plan, his fiancée had married another, but that can happen when you are absent for 11 years with no word right?

He did however, marry his fiancée’s younger sister Margarita, and by 1929 the couple had purchased the land and his grand scheme could begin. From the beginnings with a small cottage, the park grew to include a grand staircase, entertainment area, movie theatre, ballroom, picnic grounds and thousands of tropical plants and trees which we can all visit and enjoy today.

The basic history of Paronella Park I knew before visiting, but what impressed me so much on our visit may just surprise you too.

1. For Others to Enjoy. I mean who creates a path lined with Kauri pine trees, knowing they’ll never see them grow to maturity but others will benefit from this foresight, or a father who creates a waterfall so that it can be named after his daughter as a gift to her. Then there was the act of standing guard with a gun just in case a crocodile was to spoil a day of swimming in the pool below the falls. Obviously this is not something you can do today, so swimming (and guns) are off limits.
2. Queensland’s first Hydro Electicity Plant. From buying the 13 acres in 1933, for in todays money approximately $10,000, not only did Jose Paronella build his dream castle, but also created the states first privately owned hydro electric plant. This was in the 1930s, and power wouldn’t come to the rest of Mena Creek until the 1960s. This spirit of innovation remains today, with hydro (waterfall powered) charging stations, where you can power your electric car from the hydro electricity.
3. Forests, wildlife and gardens. What a gift the Paronella family created and how lucky that the park was bought by and continues to thrive under the thoughtful owners, Mark and Judy Evans, who have owned the park for the past 30 years. Jose and his family left a rich story of love for family and these beautiful surroundings, and the baton has been well and truly carried on by the current owners. Make sure to take a look at, and feed the fish, turtles and huge eel with the food provided.
4. The park is Heritage Listed and a huge employer, with 82 people currently employed between a few different sites including the park, the Mena Creek Hotel and the nearby, Mamu Tropical Skywalk, 72 of the employees are locals and 10 are backpacking seasonal workers in the busier part of the tourist season.
5. Keeping romance alive. On a guided tour of the park you are given the history of the park and many interesting facts, all delivered in a passionate and fun way by the well versed guides. Take for instance one of the pathways – Lovers lane, it is said to have been created to be wide enough for two people to walk hand in hand down the pathway, a practice which is still encouraged and done today.
6. A light and sound transformation at night. Included in your entry fee is a guided day and night tour and you’d be mad not to do both. At night the Mena Creek Falls are lit up and a magical quality overcomes the gardens. With torches provided you are safely led to the ballroom (or the remains of it after fire burned it down in 1979) where a re-creation of one of Jose’s pleasures occurs. As a mirror ball turns and reflects coloured lights, our guide informs us of the original mirror ball that was suspended in this room, a huge 1 metre wide and imported from the USA, at a price that today would be equal to $50,000. It was so expensive because it was made of hand cut circular pieces of mirror, and was probably the first mirror ball in Australia. The castle walls and fountains are lit up in a music and light show at the end of the night tour and you’ve experienced the total magic of Paronella Park.
7. Eco credentials, signs and bins can be found throughout the park, leave your maps and guide books here if you don’t want them, empty containers from the fish and turtle food given out freely can be left there, and wrist bands can be left at the front door as you leave. Paronella Park is ECO tourism certified.

During the day after your 30 minute guided tour, the park is yours to roam around and enjoy at your leisure but it is so worth getting the back stories from the guides to begin with. If you’re lucky, you may just have a guide like ours, the delightful Ange, one of the backpacking traveller employees from France.

Listening to the history with the lilt of her French accent, in the midst of the park, surrounded by tall trees and castle buildings, it was easy to buy into the Paronella fairytale and believe that you were wandering through a private castle and grounds somewhere in Europe.

If it wasn’t for the humidity I’d almost want to step into a 1930s gown, stroll out with my parasol and savour the views from one of the garden benches, waiting for the scones and tea to arrive.

Everyone should experience a dream like this at least once in their lives.

Enjoy

Glenys