While we're staying on the Cassowary Coast we've done a day trip to Paronella Park, near Mena Falls. This award winning attraction was built by Jose Paronella and was completed in the early 1930s and opened to the public in 1935. It was the culmination of a labour of love and fulfilment of a dream. Although the buildings are now mostly ruins we were able to spend several hours wandering through the gardens. Entry to the park is valid for 2 years and entitles us to a night in the attached caravan park, so there's plenty of incentive to go back. The park was the first hydro-powered system in Queensland - and it's still wholly hydro-powered, 80 years later.
We had a 45 minute tour which explained all about the park, its history and its owners. We saw the Grand Staircase, with its 47 steps and the change rooms used for the heated spa baths. We saw the micro-bats which live in one of the tunnels - they only weigh 5-6 grams and are about the size of a small mouse.
Recent rains have left the nearby Mena Falls in full flow. The fish in Mena Creek are always looking for food, as are the turtles and eels.
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