THURSDAY 18.8.2011: Flametree Tourist Village suggested we venture to Paronella Park at Mena Creek Falls. The adjoining caravan park had 16 sites and 3 cabins, but due to demand you can only stay one night. Tour Paronella Park and you are not charged for the site. We took the day and night tours and the puddles again survived the ordeal by remaining in their palace.
Everyone has a dream.......Jose Paronella's dream was to build a castle. He created Paronella Park on 13 acres beside Mena Falls. He built his castle, picnic areas at the lakeside, tennis courts, tunnels and bridges with 7,000 tropical plants and trees.
Jose arrived in Innisfail in 1913, having sailed from Catalonia in northern Spain to plan a splendid life for himself and his fiancee Matilda. He worked for 11 years creating his wealth by buying, improving and selling cane farms. Upon returning to Spain Jose discovered that Matilda had married so he proposed to Margarita, Matilda's younger sister. One year later they moved to Australia and in 1929 the land at Mena Creek Falls was purchased.
A grand 47 step staircase was built to shift building materials between the upper and lower levels. The Paronella's cottage was hand built of stone and they moved in on Christmas Eve. A movie theatre transformed on weekends into a huge ballroom with live bands and a massive ball of mirrors which spun from the ceiling. The Paronellas invited everyone to movies on Saturday nights, built tennis courts from crushed termite mounds, and a pavilion with turret-topped balconies, refreshment rooms and changing cubicles for swimmers.
North Queensland's first hydro-electric plant was built in 1933 to power the park, and the castle grounds welcomed the public in 1935.
1946: A mass of logs from a clearing upstream descended on the park destroying the refreshment rooms - they were repaired and re-opened.
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| PARONELLA PARK CARAVAN PARK |
Everyone has a dream.......Jose Paronella's dream was to build a castle. He created Paronella Park on 13 acres beside Mena Falls. He built his castle, picnic areas at the lakeside, tennis courts, tunnels and bridges with 7,000 tropical plants and trees.
Jose arrived in Innisfail in 1913, having sailed from Catalonia in northern Spain to plan a splendid life for himself and his fiancee Matilda. He worked for 11 years creating his wealth by buying, improving and selling cane farms. Upon returning to Spain Jose discovered that Matilda had married so he proposed to Margarita, Matilda's younger sister. One year later they moved to Australia and in 1929 the land at Mena Creek Falls was purchased.
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| GRAND STAIRCASE |
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| PARONELLA PARK CASTLE |
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| GRAND BALLROOM |
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| SWIMMING CHANGE ROOMS |
North Queensland's first hydro-electric plant was built in 1933 to power the park, and the castle grounds welcomed the public in 1935.
1946: A mass of logs from a clearing upstream descended on the park destroying the refreshment rooms - they were repaired and re-opened.
1979: Fire swept through the castle - only the walls of the Turret remained.
1986: Cyclone Winifred.
2006: Cyclone Larry.
2009: Refurbishment of the original hydro turbine which provides power for the entire park.
2011: Cyclone Yasi.
2011: Cyclone Yasi. 
Whilst there were m-a-n-y paths and uneven stairs (Jose could have at least ensured all the stones for the stairs were of equal size), we had a great time. You have to admire a person with such vision.
ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS:
ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS:
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| PARONELLA HOME |
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| TENNIS COURTS |
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PARONELLA FAMILY
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