THE STORY OF A SPANIARD'S DREAM IN FNQ

In Far North Queensland's jungle there are the remains of a Spanish castle in a place called Paronella Park. Ever since I heard about this place I have wanted to visit it. On our recent trip to FNQ we did exactly that, thanks to our travel buddy Ann for organising it. Unfortunately it was a dull and wet day.

Overlooking Paronella Park from the swinging bridge above the Mena Falls.

The story of this castle is fascinating. I hope you have time to read it.

In 1913 José Paronella left his fiancée Matilda in Spain and sailed to Australia to find a better life for himself and Matilda. He arrived in Innisfail just south of Cairns. He worked hard on the sugar cane fields and then created his wealth buying , improving and selling cane farms over the next 11 years. While travelling through the beautiful rainforest he found a spectacular place on the Mena River beside the beautiful Mena Falls for his dream to build a castle where he could entertain large numbers of guests. His dream included a ballroom, a movie theatre, tennis courts, a swimming pavilion, cafe, boating, picnic areas and magnificent gardens. 

He returned to Spain to marry his Matilda but alas she had married another. Determined to sail back to Australia with a bride, he married Matilda's younger sister, Margarita. One year later, in 1929, the happy newlyweds purchased the land for José's dream.

Firstly he built the 'Grand Stairway" to shift building materials from the lower level to the upper level where he hand built a stone cottage to live in while he built his dream.

Then he and his work crew set about building an entertainment area. It included a movie theatre which was converted into a grand ballroom on weekends with live bands and a massive mirror ball reflecting pink and blue lights.

 At the bottom of the stairs he built a picnic area with concrete tables and benches. You can see them better in the first photo which I took from the suspension bridge above the Mina Falls. He also had built a diving tower here but it doesn't exist today. In 1933 José built a hydro electric power plant by the side of the falls which has been renovated today and supplies the power for the now tourist park.

Also on the lower level José built refreshment rooms/pavilion and change rooms for swimmers. A fountain which is working again and tennis courts.

José made a Lover's Lane which enters a tunnel dug by hand. It leads to the delightful Teresa Falls which he named after his daughter.

7000 trees were planted on the 13 acre property and it is a delight to walk through these gardens which includes  Palm Grove,  Bamboo Forest and The Meadow. The avenue of huge Kauri Trees tower over the forest.

José also made a museum with a collection of guns, timbers, coins and dolls. he opened his home and castle to the public in 1935.

In 1946 the park and pavilion were damaged by floods but the Paronella's repaired and replanted and opened for business in 6 months.

José passed away in 1948 leaving Magarita and daughter Teresa and son Joe as custodians of his dream. Paronella Park was sold in 1977.

In 1979 the castle was destroyed by fire except for the stone work. In 1986 a cyclone almost ruined what was left.

In 1993 Judy and Mark Evans rediscovered the almost lost park and envisaged reviving José's dream with his appreciation of beauty and warm hospitality. They bought the property and they are returning it to its former glory but staying true to its historic and eco values. They have also had damage from 2 cyclones. 

Too soon it was time to board the bus and head back to Cairns a 45 min drive. But first I braved the swinging bridge to look over the Mena Falls and to take the first shot on this post.

RAINFOREST AND WATERFALLS

On our day tour from Cairns we left Lake Barrine and drove in our little bus deep into the rainforest. Our driver guide took us for a boardwalk through the jungle where we saw huge stinging plants and plants that grabbed you with their millions of thorns as you brushed past them. Then we came upon the most amazing tree near Yungaburra.

It is a Curtain Fig Tree a member of the Strangler Fig species (Ficus virens) The Curtain Fig starts growing in the top of a host tree and then sends down hundreds of aerial roots like a curtain to take hold in the ground and then the host tree dies. In this case the tree fell onto another at a 45° and the roots form a very wide curtain, which I couldn't get all into the photos. The skies were grey and light rain falling.

This Curtain Fig Tree is about 500 years old. They are only found in the rainforests of northern Australia.

Photo from the web.

 Then we went to a creek where we were lucky to see the elusive platypus, an extremely shy monotreme. They spend most of their time feeding on worms and other riverbed creepy crawlies so it is very hard to capture them as they are only on the surface long enough to take a breath and you never know where they are coming up.

Then we were off to see the waterfalls. The first and most spectacular was the Millaa Millaa Falls. You can swim here but we didn't.

Photo by Ann J

We climbed aboard again and drove on to an organic dairy farm for a cheese and yoghurt tasting.

I was accosted by a colourful cow on the verandah.

 Then we drove onto Mungalli Falls, where we had lunch in a gazebo overlooking the falls. The falls start here like a cascade and.....

  then the water plummets over a precipice and crashes onto the rocks a long way below.

Our driver /guide has made friends with a local. (I'm not sure what kind of wallaby it is) He hopped after the driver to the gazebo to say hello to us and to scrounge some food scraps.

Then we pushed on to the next attraction, Crawford's Lookout overlooking the Johnstone Gorge. The rain was like a mist, typical of rainforest weather.

Next we were off to Paronella Park, where we will see the ruins of a Spanish castle in the jungle.

LUSH LAKE BARRINE

After we completed our 4 day Savannahlander Train trip we had to wait 2 days in Cairns before our 12 day tour of Cape York departed so we decided to fill one of the days with a tour of Cairns' surrounds. We joined 4 others for the "Waterfalls and Paronella Park Tour". Paronella Park was on my bucket list but that will be in a future post.

Unfortunately it was an overcast day and threatening rain but we left Cairns in a small bus and climbed up the steep Lamb Range to the Atherton Tablelands where rolling countryside is dotted with pockets of rainforest.

First stop was at Lake Barrine, a fresh water crater lake formed by ancient volcanic explosions.

 We went for a short walk through the lush rainforest to marvel at the 1,000 year old towering Kauri Trees. They are over 45m/135ft tall and more than 6m/9ft in girth. The largest of Australia's conifers.

Then we were provided with a delicious Devonshire Morning Tea of scones, jam and cream in this lovely old guest house nestling on the banks of the lake.

 After morning tea we were taken on a cruise of the lake with an informative guide. 

 The lake is surrounded by rainforest and....

 wildlife including water dragons, snakes, birds and eels.

 Huge epiphytes were growing on the trees in their hundreds. Staghorns, elkhorns and

massive ferns hanging like baskets from the trees. There are more species of plants in the rainforest than  all the plants of North America so we were told. Even though we had grey skies it was warm and beautiful.