José Paronella died in 1948 aged
60. His family kept his dream alive until 1977 when they eventually
sold the park. After a few disasters including a fire in 1979, and
cyclone Winifred in 1986 the new owners had given up and left the
gardens abandoned. In 1993 there was new hope for Paronella Park.
Mark and Judy Evans, along with their three children were travelling
Australia, keeping their eye out for a business to buy. Not just
anything though. Something with character. Something with history.
Something unique. Something beautiful. Something that doesn't come up
for sale every day. Paronella Park ticked all the boxes. At last
Paronella Park would again start to receive some love. Nearly 22
years on, they still love Paronella Park just as much as José did.
Despite their own trials with cyclone Larry in 2006, and Yasi in 2011
they are keeping his dream alive.
An entrance ticket to
Paronella Park includes the following:
'The Dream Continues' tour. A 45 minute guided tour in the day telling the history of the park, including the who, what, where, when, how, and why the park was built. What I have written above is just a small snippet of the story you will hear on tour. These day tours leave every 30 minutes throughout the day. The first leaving at 9:30am, the last at 4:30pm
- The 'Tower of Power' tour. If you are interested in turbines and electronics this 20 minute tour takes you to see the hydro turbines that were restored in 2008 and now once again functioning and generating electricity for the park. This tour is weather dependant.
The 'Darkness Falls' tour. An hour tour of the park to see its beauty at night. Paronella Park certainly takes on a different character at night time. Both castle buildings and waterfalls light up. Content is more recent talking you through Mark and Judy's journey of owning the park, and their plans for the future. The tours leave at 6:15pm and 8:00pm. Torches are provided. During summer time due to less people coming through the park, only the first tour will run.
- A 2 year return card. Your name will be written onto a card. When you return to Paronella Park you show the card, along with some photo identification (the card is non-transferable) and you can come back to visit the park for free. Best of all, if you return with a paying guest, your card gets re-stamped from that date, and you can come for another two years! Fantastic value.
- A FREE night camping in the caravan park. If you book ahead of time, you can even have power at no extra cost! There are nice hot showers, a laundry facility, and a BBQ area. If camping is not your thing cabins are available on site for an extra cost and share the amenities with the caravan park. Both of these options are available so that people who are wanting to do the 'Darkness Falls' tour can do so and stay the night without having to travel far afterwards. The pub across the road 'Mena Creek Hotel' is a great place to have dinner too as they take orders for food from 12pm- 8pm. This allows for plenty of time for a feed before or after the 6:15pm tour, or before the 8pm tour.
- FREE Wi-Fi.
- A map of the park.
- A botanical fauna and flora guide. This book can also be used at Mamu Tropical Skywalk if you flip it to the other side.
- If mobility going up or down stairs is an issue for you, a vehicle taking you to the top or bottom of the park can be arranged by the tour guide.
- Translation options at no extra cost. If English is not your first language, ask for a translation and you will be given an A4 sheet of paper with a summary of the story in your language of choice. There are also Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese staff available to take tours for these language groups.
- Umbrellas provided on rainy days.
- Optional 2 park pass upgrade to sister park Mamu Tropical Skywalk. If you love exploring rainforests as much as I do this is well worth the visit. The skywalk is among the treetops but the best thing for the less mobile is that it is relatively flat. At the end you have the option to go up to the top of the tower which looks out into the valley. It is government owned, however 18 months ago they approached Mark and Judy and asked them to take over the management, hence the ability to upgrade tickets to a 2 park pass. They have also implemented an audio guide available in 9 different languages that tells the history of the Palmerston region, including local Aboriginal history.
- AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE. Staff are happy to help in any way we can, and go out of our way to help you have a great day. Here are some examples. Jo is the happiest person you will ever meet. She greets people as they come into the park. If you have a dog that needs minding while you explore but you are hesitant because it is whiney, Sue is a great dog wisperer! If you ring Paronella Park and get Mara on the phone your doubts will melt away as she is a very reassuring person. If you want a hot chocolate with a bit of a twist and you see that either Nicole or Mandy are working in the cafe, ask them to make a Mandy special, or Nicole special. Jasper makes great milkshakes if you want something more than just the usual chocolate or strawberry flavour. Carissa and Linda are like mums to everyone, with a good sense of humour. These are just a few of the amazing people you may meet, just to name a few. Oh and of course great tour guides who are passionate about the park and its story.
Hopefully by now I have
convinced you that Paronella Park is well worth the visit. It is on
the Old Bruce Highway. 17Km South of Innisfail, Queensland,
Australia. As you start heading south, DO NOT turn right towards
Townsville. STAY on the road you are on, because it is at this point
that it becomes the Old Bruce Highway. If you are travelling north
from Townsville turn left at a small town called Silkwood. Paronella
Park is open all year round except Christmas day.
Now for the references.
This blog post is a brief summary of what is talked about on the day
and night tour. A lot of the information comes from a book called
'The Spanish Dreamer'. Written by Dena Leighton with the help of many
including José's daughter Teresa, it is a biography of José
Paronella. In 2012 Mark Evans did an interview with ABC's Richard
Fidler for the radio program called Conversations. Some of my
information has come from this interview, as well as going on the
'Darkness Falls' tours with Mark himself which he occasionally
conducts.
Happy travels and
always follow your dreams!
- Jeni!
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