Paronella Park
Hidden away in lush rainforest at Mena Creek, just south of Innisfail, a crumbling set of ruins sits like a lost world, a moss-covered memory of one man's dream.
Paronella Park is a place of romance and a tribute to the resilience and determination of the human spirit. It is a place where dreams are created and anything is possible, epitomising Tropical North Queensland.
I'd heard a lot about this place: it's been voted in the RACQ's Top 150 tourist attractions, it's a Queensland Tourism Award Winner, it's eco-certified and heritage-listed. Yet no matter how many people I've asked to explain it to me, the answer was always a vague, "Oh, it's amazing. You really can't describe it".
Now I know Paronella Park does need to be seen - rather, experienced, for this is a sensual journey.
José Paronella arrived in Innisfail in 1913 from Catalonia to make his fortune in the cane fields. His plan was to set up house and return for his fiancée, Matilda, who he'd left behind in Spain.
José worked hard as a cutter, but soon found a way to make his earnings grow. The government of the day was offering old cane farms for sale at bargain prices. José bought, improved and sold a series of farms, making him one of the earliest property kings.
He found his dream land at Mena Creek Falls. His vision to turn it into a haven of European style was firmly set. He returned to Spain to collect Matilda, but he'd neglected one small detail - he hadn't written to her in the 13 years he'd been gone. Matilda had given up and married another.
José courted and married Matilda's younger sister Margarita. They returned to Mena Creek in 1929 and José set about building a 'mini-city' of style and charm.
José hand-built the entire complex - the main cottage, the 'castle', the grand staircase which led to the complex gardens and waterfall-side dining area.
The outdoor refreshment area was, in its heyday, a vibrant place of music, laughter and fine food as the elite of the region swarmed to Paronella Park for Continental-style entertainment.
It's easy to lose yourself in the romance of what it was like - music would have filled the air, Margarita's food would be laid on the stone tables, dancing would have been high on the agenda in the ballroom and on the green, lovers would have courted in the avenue of 7000 kauri hand-planted by José.
José had only one helper for the two years it took to build his dream. The rest he completed alone, laying concrete by hand, pulling clay from the earth and punching every nail into this massive complex.
Paronella Park endured devastating floods, cyclones and storms. When José died in 1948, Margarita lovingly tended to his dream. After she died in 1948 their son Joe took charge and continued the work. Whe he died in 1972 a fire swept through the castle, leaving little of what was once the proud vision of his father's dreams.
Paronella Park was left to ruin - until another couple of dreamers came along in 1993.
Mark and Judy Evans were staying in the adjoining caravan park. They went exploring, found the "lost world" next door and fell in love with its beauty. Together, they've revived José's dream and today the former glory of Paronella Park lures anyone who has ever loved enough to make their passion a reality.
So what's Paronella Park really like? Well, it's amazing - you really can't describe it. You'll just have to see it for yourself and be prepared to take a journey of imagination to a time of romance and passion.
FACTS: Paronella Park is about an hour's drive from Cairns. There are 45-minute guided tours every day from 9.30am till 4.30pm. The Darkness Falls tour shows the secrets and delights of the experience as the sun sets.