Paronella Park, Queensland.

BilliGoatsGruff (Billi) · #1 11-07-2015, 02:07 PM

I was just watching Queensland Weekender on tv and they did a section on Paronella Park. Has anyone had a chance to go there? It looks like something from a magical world!

Octane (Humayun) · #2 11-07-2015, 03:23 PM

My better half used to go there often. She wanted to take me there before we moved back down south and never got a chance to.

She loves it there and it's something we will do one day when we head back up north.

H

glend (Glen) · #3 11-07-2015, 04:50 PM

I stopped there when I did the Cape trip a few years ago. It is one man's fantasy and he spent most of his life creating it, you might say it would never be finished. It's not everyone's idea of a good time but I enjoyed it, but I appreciate ecentricity.

Slawomir (Suavi) · #4 11-07-2015, 05:01 PM

Hi Billi,

I used to live just over an hour drive from the park so I visited it a few times. It is a nice place to see and spend afternoon - nature is beautiful but buildings are just alright - too much concrete. Nevertheless - a must see when doing a tour from Townsville to Cairns and beyond.

Slawomir

BilliGoatsGruff (Billi) · #5 11-07-2015, 05:09 PM

The forest was enough to drag me in

I'm a big fan of that stuff, so the buildings would be an added bonus. I'm not sure if my fiancé would be as excited about it, but such is life

tlgerdes (Trevor) · #6 11-07-2015, 08:23 PM

If I remember correctly from when we visited there, it was also Australia's first Hydro electric power plant.

Qantas also made it famous by featuring it in one of their "still call Australia home" ads from around 2003.

OzEclipse (Joe Cali) · #7 12-07-2015, 11:01 AM

My parents and grandparents lived on farms near Innisfail between 1913 and 1954. They often spoke of going to weddings and dances that were held at the ballroom there. Natural disasters have taken their toll and the current owners are trying to preserve the site rather than restore.

I went there with my cousin when we in Cairns because we'd heard so much about it from family members. It is a strange place and yes not everybody's cup of tea but very interesting and pretty in parts.

Definitely worth a visit if you are there, not worth a special trip in my opinion. There are lots of things to do ans see around Cairns / Port Douglas and Daintree. It is cheapest to stay in Cairns or Port Douglas and you can visit Paronella as a day trip. Port Douglas is probably the best place to stay in my opinion or the North Cairns beaches (Trinity, Kewarra, Palm Beach) can be a bit cheaper. From either of those locations with a rental car you are easy day trip from Daintree, Atherton Tablelands, and Paronella Park.

Joe

leon · #8 12-07-2015, 12:53 PM

Yes Billi, we have been there and it is magical, we loved every moment of it.

Leon

Slawomir (Suavi) · #9 12-07-2015, 01:44 PM

Hi Billi,

If you like rainforest, then w walk down to Wallaman falls would provide with an unforgettable experience IMHO. There are definitely plenty of beautiful places to explore between Townsville and Port Douglas.

Regards
Slawomir

Baddad (Marty) · #10 13-07-2015, 05:01 PM

Great place to visit.

As Trevor has hinted on. The old ballroom lost its roof in the big cyclone. The "Tunnel Of Love" has partly collapsed. When I visited, a colony of micro bats were residing in the tunnel.

Hydro power, yes. The founding owner scavenged etc. to build the park. It is still spectacular. A must see if you go to Cairns.

BilliGoatsGruff (Billi) · #11 13-07-2015, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baddad

Great place to visit.

As Trevor has hinted on. The old ballroom lost its roof in the big cyclone. The "Tunnel Of Love" has partly collapsed. When I visited, a colony of micro bats were residing in the tunnel.

Hydro power, yes. The founding owner scavenged etc. to build the park. It is still spectacular. A must see if you go to Cairns.

It's sad about the damage. I guess bats need love too?

I suppose restoration would be pointless, another cyclone would come along just in spite

Paul Haese · #12 14-07-2015, 12:11 PM

We visited the park when we went to Cairns. It was my wife's idea and whilst quirky is was a nice afternoon well spent. Well worth a visit in my opinion.

erick (Eric) · #13 16-07-2015, 05:33 AM

Sounds to me like you will love it Billi. We stayed overnight in nearby B&B Mena Creek Eco gardens which allowed us to explore the Park during the day and then come back for the night tour. Give yourself lots of time to enjoy the quirkiness and history of the place.

BilliGoatsGruff (Billi) · #14 16-07-2015, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

Sounds to me like you will love it Billi. We stayed overnight in nearby B&B Mena Creek Eco gardens which allowed us to explore the Park during the day and then come back for the night tour. Give yourself lots of time to enjoy the quirkiness and history of the place.

It certainly looks amazing, I'm sure it will live up to what I hope for

Moontanner (Ross) · #15 18-07-2015, 10:15 AM

My wife and I visited the park again in Dec 2014. It's quite a special place if your into that sort of thing.
The cost of entry has gone up a fair bit due to the restoration works underway. It can be a bit of a shock if you're someone that's been there several times, but you'll learn that the park was always meant to earn it's keep.
My advice is to do the tour and then spend some time hanging out in the gardens or by the waterfall. You can also go for a walk over the suspension bridge outside the park if you don't have enough time for the grand tour.
If you go in summer take some shade as it can get pretty hot in the sun and you won't be able to hang out for long without getting baked.

The drive to Paronella Park is an adventure in itself and I recommend it to all my friends that head up that way. There are so many great spots around.

(Josephine Falls is one of them if you want to cool off
)