{"id":576,"date":"2021-07-12T03:33:09","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T03:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/box5755.temp.domains\/~kidstra3\/?p=576"},"modified":"2024-06-08T18:11:59","modified_gmt":"2024-06-08T18:11:59","slug":"a-kids-view-paronella-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kidstravelworld.com\/index.php\/2021\/07\/12\/a-kids-view-paronella-park\/","title":{"rendered":"A Kid’s View – Paronella Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Paronella park! Where to start? Would you be surprised to hear that Paronella is a medieval castle in the middle of tropical North Queensland? I think you would! The castle was built by a Spanish man named Jos\u00e9 Paronella in 1933. He grew up listening to his mother tell fairytales of castles, knights and Spanish noblemen.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The castle is in Mena creek, right beside the waterfall. When he built it he also made a hydroelectric generator to power the castle. The castle is very big with 2 waterfalls, a bamboo forest, castle, restaurant, cottage, tunnel of love and a grand staircase that contains 47 steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Later, after Jose Paronella died, his wife and son died and the castle was abandoned. A few years later, a couple travelling around Australia found Paronella park and started giving tours even though they had no idea what they were showing people! Then a year later the couple went to a car and asked if she would like a tour and she said \u201cNo, let me give you a tour. I am Jose Paronella\u2019s daughter.\u201d And so, the couple learned about the old castle. They continue to manage Paronella park even now. Before the couple got ownership, the council created a suspension bridge over the waterfall in the 1980s. Now that was scary!<\/p>\n\n\n

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At night the park comes alive with a spectacular night show with music created by a quartet string ensemble from Wollongong.<\/p>\n\n\n

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