FIELD NOTES// Paronella Park

PARONELLA PARK

17°39′09″S 145°57′23″E

A castle in the middle of the tropical rainforest. The crumbling façade reminiscent of forests in Scotland and an homage to the castles of Catalonia.

Textured walls laced with fingertip marks and stained with colour from the rain, moss trickles descending down following rivulets of water.

Hints of colour and texture remain littered throughout the grounds.

Fish and turtles gather to receive daily treats from passing visitors.

Electric ferns with vibrant blue fringes brush up against Kauri pines, bamboo forests and waterfalls.

Resplendent in shades of green.

Night tours guarantee a cacophony of colour ringing out from the darkness.

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Paronella Park was originally established in the 1930’s by Jose Paronella and his wife Margarita. Their castle in the rainforest held at one point a theatre, swimming pool and grand dances in its ballroom. While much of the infrastructure has since been damaged, what remains is a beautiful sanctuary and a reminder of vision.

NOTES

Smells like:

Rainforest damp.

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Sounds like:

Running waterfalls. The dulcet tones of guides, like Bill from Belgium, with a flair for the dramatic.

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Looks like:

A long-forgotten castle in the jungle rich with textures. Hand marked concrete walls. So many trees and different types of foliage. Electric ferns. Bright purple blossoms. Crisp red flowers. Light displays over the castle at night.

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Feels like:

A place of incredible vision for an enterprising man – even if the present day version is different to what he originally intended.

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Tastes like:

Frozen bananas in dark chocolate.