After a quick trip to the markets in Mission Beach and a goodbye to Lilly and Logan we left Mission Beach on route to Paronella Park at Mena Creek which was only an hour north.
I had booked in advance as we wanted to take advantage of the free night in their van park which would allow us to do the night tour. On arrival we collected our stickers and set up camp before doing the 11 am guided day tour which explained the history of the place. Entry to the park is $40 per adult which includes the day tour and the darkness falls tour a night in the van park. As the boys are under 5 they were free.
The park was originally owned by Jose Paronella who immigrated from Spain in 1913 and purchased the 13 acres that the park sits in on 1929 with a dream to build a caste like what he had imagined from the stories he was told in his childhood. It was interesting to learn that Jose didn't built the castle to live in but more so admire along with the beautiful gardens which had almost 7000 trees planted.
In 1933 Jose built North Queensland's first hydro electric plant which is still in operation today and supplies the power of the park included the van sites and also feeds power back into the grid. In 1935 the park was finally opened to the public.
Jose cottage he build before the castle then lived in
The Grand ballroom staircase
Waterfalls from Mena Creek
After the tour we headed back to the van for lunch A had a sleep while J did some school work. Even though J goes to 4 yo kindergarten and there is no such homework as such for us to do on our trip we thought we would, considering we have the time, do a little school work each day, a lot of it is via iPad apps in which he thinks he is playing games but he is learning to recognise letters and numbers, the sounds the letters make and some maths with basic subtraction and addition as well as memory games.
After an early dinner (homemade pizza in the baby webber q) we headed off to the 6.30 darkness falls guided tour. WOW I thought the park was magical during the day but the night tour makes is so fairy tale like. Some of the parks prominent features are lite up using the power from the hydro electric plant.
Theresa Falls
Sadly with floods in 1967, 72, 74 and 1994 then a fire in 1979 and cyclones in 1886, 2006 and 2011 the park is no longer the image Jose had created but all that is need is a little imagination. It is hoped that over the new few years the grand ballroom will be rebuilt and the park can hold functions as this is what Jose had intended when we created the castle.
Paronella park is the number 1 tourist attraction in QLD voted by RACQ. A must do if every travelling to Far North Queensland. We will certainly return to see how the transformation is going if we ever return to FNQ.
More information at Parenella park can be found www.paronellapark.com.au
Next Stop.....Cairns
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