Sightseeing

We got one of the other caravanners to look after Chip for us today so we could go and do some sightseeing. 

We went to Paraonella Park which is a 13 acre property set by Mena Creek Falls just outside of Innisfail where a spanish guy called Jose Paronella built a home and entertainment area complete with castles, waterfalls, a hydro electric plant, tennis courts, movie theatre, ballroom etc  in the early 1900s all for his wife.  It has been damaged by fire, floods, and cyclones since but is now being rebuilt.  The plants etc are really lovely and the building work is amazing given it was all originally done by hand.   Here are some photos (you can click on the photos if you want to see them bigger) :
There is a huge row of pines and the view goes right to the waterfall at the end

This is one of the castles...this used to have refreshment rooms, changing cubicles, a raised stand for the band to play on...behind me is the fountain and in front of that used to be the tennis courts

This is the waterfall which feeds the hydro dam.  They used to swim in the lake there and have row boats on it.  There is seating around the area too.

The swing bridge that the army built for access - castles behind and the waterfall below

Australia...this is where your bananas come from...or should I say will start coming from shortly.  You can't appreciate from this photo just how big this banana plantation is....

and that was our day's outing.....