Paronella Park

I’d heard about this place from travelling friends so knew it was a “must do” if we got this far. The property is what remains from the dreams of Spanish immigrant, Jose Paronella who arrived in the area in the 1940s. He set about building his own “palace” - something he’d always dreamed of doing since childhood. Unfortunately, he used local,y quarried stone that contained mica and was completely unsuited for building in this environment. As a result, the buildings all began to deteriorate over a relatively short period of time. Then a massive storm hit, devastating the home even further. It must have been pretty heartbreaking! Further tragedy struck the family as Jose passed, followed closely by his wife and finally their son, at a relatively young age. Remaining daughter was not able to keep running the property and it has changed hands a couple of times. Today there is a museum/cafe and small caravan park above the gorgeous grounds and those lichen-covered, mossy ruins. The waterfall is lovely and there are many twisty walkways taking you through gorgeous natural vegetation. In the evening the grounds come alive with a light show accompanied by specially curated music, telling the story of Jose’s dreams, hardships and delights. So glad we did it!Read more