Paronella Park
Encyclopedia
Paronella Park is a tourist attraction
located in Queensland
, Australia
, 120 kilometres south of Cairns.
immigrant. José Paronella built facilities, including tennis courts and a cinema and a ballroom inspired by Spanish castles, to provide entertainment for the public. Since his death, a fire, a cyclone and several floods have badly damaged the park and the buildings. The park changed owners several times until, in 1993, it was bought by the present owners.
In 2009 the park completed a restoration of the plant, and now runs entirely off hydro-electric power. Some of the excess electricity is fed back into the local grid.
The Darkness Falls tour - a one hour night tour of the site at 6:20 p.m., with an additional tour at 8:30 p.m. during peak season.
Self-guided Botanical Walk - a self-guided tour, with the aid of a 16-page booklet containing details of the Park's flora, with various tree species identified throughout the Park.
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
located in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 120 kilometres south of Cairns.
History
Paronella Park was built in the 1930s by José Paronella, a SpanishSpanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
immigrant. José Paronella built facilities, including tennis courts and a cinema and a ballroom inspired by Spanish castles, to provide entertainment for the public. Since his death, a fire, a cyclone and several floods have badly damaged the park and the buildings. The park changed owners several times until, in 1993, it was bought by the present owners.
The Impossible Dream
On 24 July 2010; The Impossible Dream was launched at Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns. The Impossible Dream is based on the true story of José and his bride Margarita.Hydroelectric plant
In 1933, Paronella installed a hydro-electric plant, the first (privately owned) in Queensland, on the waterfall in the park. He used it to supply power for the park's lighting, pumps, refrigeration and cinema. The town of Mena Creek also used some of the electricity. The plant was eventually decommissioned.In 2009 the park completed a restoration of the plant, and now runs entirely off hydro-electric power. Some of the excess electricity is fed back into the local grid.
Activities
The Dream Continues tour - a 45 minute guided walk, departing every half-hour from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., highlighting features of the park and telling the story of José Paronella’s ideas for the site.The Darkness Falls tour - a one hour night tour of the site at 6:20 p.m., with an additional tour at 8:30 p.m. during peak season.
Self-guided Botanical Walk - a self-guided tour, with the aid of a 16-page booklet containing details of the Park's flora, with various tree species identified throughout the Park.