A Magnificent Obsession - Far North Queensland, Australia

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Paronella Park, Far North Queensland, Australia I have just returned from yet another whirlwind romance with Far North Queensland. It is an affair to remember, an ongoing passion! This time however I rendezvoused with the south of Cairns - an area not often broached, the North usually steals the limelight...however unfair that is. Paronella Park is more than a park, it is a garden that captures your imagination and with that, it releases its magic! It is a stroll through a man's vision - an entrance to a story that is illustrated with living pictures. From the very point of its beginnings to the dream that you enter now, it can only be described as a complete surprise and a personal discovery. A whole days worth of enlightenment and entertainment. From the moment you step from your car, Mark and Judy Evans are there, welcoming you to enter the fantasy of Jose' Paronella. But...now it is Mark and Judy's dream continuing the story - adding their very own chapters, bringing together an arena of cultural, historical and botanical appreciation. The stage is set, the curtains are drawing back as you emerge into the introduction of Jose's life, with your tour guide on board describing the tale of one mans eccentricity, sense of romance and pioneering spirit. Your imagination re-enacts the events as you pass through and by the monuments of passion that were built as a testament of love. Your every sense tingles and savours the atmosphere that had been created and is now maintained. Exotic and abundant plant life, waterfalls, fountains, castles and turrets. Tunnel of love, groves of palms, ferns and gigantic trees. All carefully and effectively placed. All a portion of a magnificent obsession. Enter stage left....Mark and Judy Evans, a couple whose true destiny was about to be unfolded. Little did they know that their exit from the burgeoning computer industry of the late 1980's would lead them to their haven. 1991 saw them commencing on a journey travelling Australia, looking for opportunities, seeking change and adventure. Embarking from Perth (Western Australia), they eventually landed in Cairns (Eastern Australia)18 months later. Two years to the day that they left Perth, they became the new residents and owners of Paronella Park - they had found their "Tree Change". During that time of two years exploring, Mark and Judy inadvertently learned all they needed to know about what makes an attraction attractive - their focus was a friendly, warm welcome which extended to a guarantee of intimate enlightenment and educational entertainment. Paronella Park is 106 kms south of Cairns - a hidden garden nestled within the Hinterland of Innesfail. Quality also springs to mind when considering just what Paronella Park is - a generous diversity of tours is available. The Bush Tucker walks are a labyrinth of history, culture and nourishment. The botanical walk is a clandestine meeting with exotic flora from all over the world. The night tour provides separate magic altogether - the set design for this production has been enhanced by the spectacular lighting. It is also extraordinary to be joined by wildlife as part of the audience! For 50 years the picnic and swimming area laid dormant. Now refurbished it is used extensively...a playground for all to use. The culture does not stay exclusively within the European boundaries. An Aboriginal group of artists and dancers combine past, present and future - offering their skills and heritage to the evolution of the park. To further immortalise Jose' Paronella - a playwright has penned this life as a stage show, just finishing its opening season in Cairns right now. Phillip Witts, the author from Melbourne, has encapsulated this amazing mans essence (to rave reviews!) and projected it through "The Impossible Dream!" If Jose' could only see it all now!!!!


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