It was finally time to leave Cairns and head down the highway on our journey south. Not wanting to have huge day for Nain and Tadcu on their first relocation, we decided to do an overnight stay at the quirky, interesting and unique Paronella Park.
Paronella Pakr is like a modern day Castle. Orignially built in the 1930's by Jose Paronella is has seen quite the life. Parties, high society parties, financial ruin, neglect, cyclone and now tourist attraction. I won't go into full details but it's worth a read and definitely a visit if you are in the area.
In an idea that I reckon should be adopted by many tourist attractions. If you booked in accordingly, you could park your van at Paronella Park and stay overnight, included in the standard price of admission. Brilliant!
The included 45min guided tour was really good and run every half hour by park staff. You could join the tour as many times as you like but we only did it once. Our guide was really informative and great with the kids. As you can see here, no surprises who wanted to stand at the front.
Here we are standing in the Great Hall. Obviously it needs a little TLC and has a pretty strong draught, but think o fthe potential!
The Mena Falls adjacent to the park which was the source of Jose Paronella's grand plans of running the park on hydro-electricity, and still does to this day. A brilliant piece of foresight in a time where electricity wasn't yet widely available in homes.
Every now and then, the planets align themselves and we manage to get a ripper family shot. This is as about as close as you can get.
A great shot of Nain and Tadcu!
A group family shot in the "Kauri Avenue", a tree lined passage with giant Kauri's towering over you. The grounds of Paronella Park were spectacular in themselves with a vast array of flora to explore and observe. If that's your kind of thing.
One of the rare times when all three were smiling.
The waterfall precinct is really something else. A beautiful spot.
Given the short drive from Cairns to the park, and with the tour done and dusted, plenty of time in the afternoon to explore the park and complete some schoolwork. If I recall, this task was to write 10 things about Paronella Park that we were either told on the tour or they could find exploring the parks information boards.
With paths through the rainforest, and a vivid imagination, there's always time for a dance and explore through the trees...
One end of the "Tunnel of Love", a great example of the ruins that were being progressively swallowed by the jungle!
Evie thought this sign was funny, reminding here of Teresa McGuirk.
Below are some shots of the Tennis Court/Lower Refreshment Room area, a setting for many a wedding and movie set. Very cool and unique spot.
We spotted this Cheeky Monkey on the ground. He seems to be pretty common in these parts, turning up everywhere we go it seems.
The view from the rope bridge over the waterfall.
It was a nice evening, sitting between our sites having spag bol and reading/drinking whilst we waited for the much touted "Night Tour".
Teresa Falls by night. Well, Teresa Falls, lit up with a light at night. Really, not that much different to day time if you ask me...
The lights on the falls were nice but they could really go to town at such a cool spot. It would be a great spot for some long exposure spots and light shows.
And the "centrepiece" of the tour was a light and sound show at the Lower Refreshment Rooms. What can we say... um... yeah... it was OK. I realise they're privately owned and run on a tight margin to focus on green/eco accreditation, but it was underwhelming. A decent set of outdoor speakers and some funky LED lights aren't that expensive and could really add to it. Other than that, we were just walking around the rainforest in the dark with an inch thick layer of Aeroguard over any exposed skin!
Our stop at Paronella Park was cool and interesting, and it's always nice when a place throws in a van site in the ticket price. Was a relaxed day, and we enjoyed our time walking around exploring the nooks and crannies of the place.
If you throw in the night to park the van, it's pretty good value, and even if not, is work the price of admission for a quirk and unique piece of the country.
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