Paronella Park

We stayed at Paronella Park for 1 night in the caravan camping grounds. We arrived there early and set the caravan up then took the 45minute guided tour. We had lunch then went back into the park to tour by ourselves. Then after dinner we took the 8.30pm night tour as they light up the falls and the grounds and try to find the nocturnal animals for you to see.
This park was built by a gentleman named Jose and he was well before his time. He was an immigrant who worked hard and saved his money so he could build a castle not only for his family but for all to enjoy. He thought of leisure parks before they were fashionable.
He had swimming area and changing rooms for men and women, Tennis courts, a ballroom, cinema and an ice cream parlour besides the falls with boat rides and a tunnel of love to walk through. Sadly over the years two very large cyclones have wiped a lot of his hard work off the face of the earth but there is still enough left for you to imagine exactly what it was like

Entrance to Paronella Park

The  Grand Ballroom, the cinema and the Ice Cream Parlour

Kauri Pine Avenue

The waterfalls

People used to sail there boats up to the waterfall and pass underneath to the small caves area

The grand staircase

The fountain

It was well worth the cost and they also do pensioner discounts   so a real bargain as far as we are concerned. Our guide on the night tour was a young gentleman with a great sense of humour and able to talk all night long and make up stories. We managed to see lots of eels waiting to be fed and turtles also a bandicoot  and a scrub turkey roosting high in a tree as our guide said he was afraid the pythons would eat him (we didn't see any). He also told us that they had seen a crocodile in the area and that some crocs could run up trees ( I think that was a fib)

Eeels waiting to be fed

The main ballroom

It was a great experience and everyone should go and see for themselves how wonderful it really is.