Things to See & Do on the Canecutter Way

Paronella Park

Everyone has a dream but not everyone’s dreams are fulfilled.  José Paronella’s dream was to build a castle. He chose a special part of Australia and created Paronella Park.  On 5 Hectares beside Mena Creek Falls he built his castle, picnic area by the falls, tennis courts, bridges, a tunnel, and wrapped it up in an amazing range of 7,500 tropical plants and trees.  It opened to the public in 1935.

Paronella Park has received multiple Queensland tourism awards, is State and National Heritage listed and is a National Trust listed property.  It is privately owned and operated and Eco accredited.  Paronella Park is the site of Queensland’s 1st privately owned hydro electric plant (1933).

This system, completely restored in 2009, provides Paronella Park with all of its electricity requirements.

Web:

www.paronellapark.com.au

Email:

info@paronellapark.com.au

Phone:

(07) 4065 0000

Fax:

(07) 4065 3022

Address:

Japoonvale Road (Old Bruce Highway), Mena Creek QLD 4871

Mena Creek Falls

A picturesque waterfall, it can be seen best front-on from the Picnic area inside Paronella Park.

It can also be seen from above from the public park on the southern side of the bridge and from the swing bridge that crosses Mena Creek just above the falls. (Diving from the top into the pool below is dangerous and not permitted)

Mena Creek Eco Gardens

Awarded a 1st prize in the Cassowary Coast Garden competition for the past two years, the two acres of Mena Creek Eco Gardens is more than just a beautiful garden. It’s a mini botanic garden, created by horticulturalist Norma Coley, as a bird watching area.

Developed without the use of chemicals, a natural balance has returned with a wonderful variety of butterflies, moths and other tropical insect life and an increasing number of birds taking up residence. The 10x10m hexagonal pavilion overlooking the pond, and stunning backdrops in every direction makes it a delightful place to hold a wedding ceremony.

You can browse through the orchid house display, gift shop and garden centre, or stay awhile in our comfortable Self-contained accommodation.

Features of the Mena Creek Eco Gardens:

• Garden Centre —The largest selection of tropical fruit trees in the north including the popular Kendall Farms range of Dwarf Fruit trees
• Orchid House and Garden Centre
• 2 acres of display gardens and bird watching habitat
• Self-contained Units
• Great wedding venue

Open 7 days, 9am to 6pm

Web:

www.menacreekgardens.com.au

Email:

menacreek17@bigpond.com

Phone:

(07) 4065 3421

Fax:

(07) 4065 3423

Address:

17 Mena Creek Road, Mena Creek QLD 4871

Aussie Farm Entertainment

A ‘must do’ for the kids is the Family Farm Visit to Spurwood Springs, a 350 acre cattle fattening property nestled in the picturesque Mena Creek Valley. 

The kids can ride a horse, milk a cow, pat the sheep, pat Nobby our huge friendly bullock, watch a working collie dog display and more. 

Your hosts, award winning bush poet and dog handler Tom Mauloni, and Dianne Mauloni guarantee to thoroughly entertain you in a relaxed genuine working farm environment.   We cater for groups of visitors, including school students, inbound visitors, seniors – in fact, anyone looking for a great Aussie Experience. 

Our Log Cabin venue is perfect for functions and country weddings, with a horse and sulky for the bride.

So treat yourself to a wonderful farm experience and stay in our affordable fully s/c holiday house Top Hill Lodge overlooking the Mena Creek Valley.

By popular demand we are now open 7 days – but we are a working cattle property, so please, no drive-ins – pre-booking is essential.

Web:

www.aussiefarmentertainment.com.au

Email:

info@aussiefarmentertainment.com.au

Phone:

(07) 4065 3310

Fax:

(07) 4065 3021

Address:

“Spurwood Springs”, Mena Creek QLD 4871

Liverpool Creek (near Japoonvale)

A great place to stop on a hot summer’s day and have a swim in clear, cool mountain water.

Free camping permitted.

There’s a handy Male/Female toilet block

Silkwood

Lots of historic buildings to look at in this area:

• The beautiful old Silkwood Hotel
• The smallest bank in Australia: now a museum. Access can be arranged at the Silkwood Newsagent across the road.
• An old Chinese trading store

Murdering Point Winery

The multi-Award winning Murdering Point Winery is unique in every sense; the name, the unmatched range of exotic tropical wines and the location.

In addition to the tropical fruit wines such as mango, lychee, passionfruit and jaboticaba, Murdering Point Winery also produces wines of outstanding quality from Australian Bush Tucker fruits such as Lemon Aspen and Davidson Plum.

The winery is also home to “The Point” Port, the heavenly “White Devil” Port and the “Black Devil”, a unique blend of black sapote and cognac.

Visitors are invited to enjoy free tastings and to learn the history of the region in the unpretentious surroundings of the cellar door and tropical landscaped gardens.

Murdering Point Winery is open 7 days from 9.30am to 5pm

Web:

www.murderingpointwinery.com.au

Email:

info@murderingpointwinery.com.au

Phone:

(07) 4065 2327

Fax:

(07) 4065 2247

Address:

161 Murdering Point Road, Silkwood QLD 4857

Kurrimine Beach

Unspoilt, miles of beautiful beach.

Swim, sail, go fishing, picnic, stroll the beach….but if that’s all too energetic for you, well just have yourself a siesta under the shade of a whispering casuarina and watch the pelicans do the fishing.