I would like to tell you about our visit to Paronella Park.

My husband and I were staying in Cairns on our honeymoon in April last year. We decided to do the circuit of the waterfalls south of  Cairns. Paronella Park was on our list if we had time at the end of the day.

We pulled into the car park at Paronella at about 4 o’clock just intending to spend an hour or so looking and then drive back into Cairns for our dinner. The owner of Paronella greeted us with, “This is a magical place and I guarantee you will not be disappointed”.

We went on the next tour with a  lovely guide, but nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to experience. It had to have been one of the highlights of our holiday, right up there with the Daintree and Cape tribulation, but for very different reasons.

The story of Jose Paronella was such a touching , inspirational one. One man’s determination to fulfil his dream. Wow!! His commitment and foresight was just astounding and the end result was something of immense beauty. Even though it bears little resemblance to it’s glory days, Paronella is just a magical, hauntingly beautiful place to visit. I have been to many a stately home in England with all the splendour that they hold but Paronella was a much more spiritual, touching experience.

I could almost feel his children running through the gardens and at the waterfall dedicated to his daughter I felt amazingly peaceful.

I looked at the old Photos and marvelled at its former glory and the hours of wonderful entertainment and fun that Paronella brought to the surrounding district. It was like looking through a cracked looking glass into an era passed and feeling and living the energy and dream of this determined man and this wonderful place.It really reflected the strength of the human spirit. We spent not the hour we intended to spend, but finally left after chatting to the owners and sampling some lovely Mango wine, at about 8 o’clock and got back to Cairns minus eating dinner and feeling so excited at what we had seen and experienced. I can understand the interest in Paronella and was not at all surprised that it has been the setting for Movies and documentaries. I felt the owners felt the dream and genuinely wanted to keep the dream and mystic alive that Jose Paronella wanted to achieve.

It has been hit with tragedy after tragedy, and cyclone Larry caused a lot of damage as we saw from the photos but the fact is the place just lives on and I hope that it does for time immemorial as it is truly  a unique and wonderful place that deserves to be preserved and seen for more generations to come! What a wonderful legacy to a truly remarkable man and his family.

A must see.

Regards and Mark