Paronella Park

Hidden in the lush rainforest of Far North Queensland, beside the rushing waters of Mena Creek Falls, stands a crumbling Spanish style castle that feels almost impossible. Paronella Park was not built by royalty or government decree. It was built by one man with a dream.

José Paronella arrived in Australia from Spain in 1913 with little more than determination. He worked in the cane fields, saved relentlessly, and promised himself he would one day build something extraordinary. In the 1930s, he kept that promise. He carved terraces into rock, planted thousands of tropical trees, built a grand ballroom, a cinema, bridges, tunnels, and even a hydroelectric plant to power it all.

Cyclones tore at it. Fire damaged it. Time tried to reclaim it. Yet the dream never quite disappeared.

In this episode, we wander through the moss covered staircases and silent halls to uncover the love story, the ambition, and the resilience behind one of Australia’s most enchanting landmarks.

It is a story of romance, vision, and what can happen when one person refuses to let go of a dream.

The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm

The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

 

Paronella Park
Hidden in the lush rainforest of Far North Queensland, beside the rushing waters of Mena Creek Falls, stands a crumbling Spanish style castle that feels almost impossible.&nbsp;Paronella Park&nbsp;was not built by royalty or government decree. It was built by one man with a dream.
Jos&eacute; Paronella arrived in Australia from Spain in 1913 with little more than determination. He worked in the cane fields, saved relentlessly, and promised himself he would one day build something extraordinary. In the 1930s, he kept that promise. He carved terraces into rock, planted thousands of tropical trees, built a grand ballroom, a cinema, bridges, tunnels, and even a hydroelectric plant to power it all.
Cyclones tore at it. Fire damaged it. Time tried to reclaim it. Yet the dream never quite disappeared.
In this episode, we wander through the moss covered staircases and silent halls to uncover the love story, the ambition, and the resilience behind one of Australia&rsquo;s most enchanting landmarks.
It is a story of romance, vision, and what can happen when one person refuses to let go of a dream.
The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm
The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun
&nbsp;

This is a catch-up podcast of an interviews with Cheralyn Darcey. Find your local station or stream live https://2sm.com.au

This is a catch-up podcast of an interviews with Cheralyn Darcey. Find your local station or stream live&nbsp;<a href="https://2sm.com.au">https://2sm.com.au</a>

Cheralyn Darcey

Cheralyn is a radio broadcaster with a passion for community, music, and gardening. She is also a best-selling botanical history author and illustrator of twenty-one internationally published titles.

Cheralyn is a radio broadcaster with a passion for community, music, and gardening. She is also a best-selling botanical history author and illustrator of twenty-one internationally published titles.

Australian Bedtime Story: Paronella Park

Fort Denison

Rising from the middle of Sydney Harbour like a lonely stone sentinel, Fort Denison has watched the city grow from a fragile penal colony to a glittering global harbour.

But before it became a fort, it was a place of punishment. Known to the Gadigal people as Mat-te-wan-ye, the rocky island was later used as a brutal convict prison where men were left in chains, exposed to wind, salt and sun. In time, fear of foreign invasion transformed it into a Martello tower, armed and ready to defend the young colony.

In this episode, we explore the isolation, the hardship, and the quiet endurance etched into those sandstone walls. The cannon fire that once echoed across the water. The time ball that helped ships set their clocks. And the human stories that linger in the shadow of that round stone tower.

It is a story of confinement and protection. Of vulnerability and vigilance. Of a small island that has always stood alone, right at the heart of Sydney.

Tonight, we step out into the harbour and listen to what the stone still remembers.

Tonight, we walk into the smoke and steel of colonial Australia and meet the man behind the armour.

The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm

The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

Fort Denison
Rising from the middle of Sydney Harbour like a lonely stone sentinel,&nbsp;Fort Denison&nbsp;has watched the city grow from a fragile penal colony to a glittering global harbour.
But before it became a fort, it was a place of punishment. Known to the Gadigal people as Mat-te-wan-ye, the rocky island was later used as a brutal convict prison where men were left in chains, exposed to wind, salt and sun. In time, fear of foreign invasion transformed it into a Martello tower, armed and ready to defend the young colony.
In this episode, we explore the isolation, the hardship, and the quiet endurance etched into those sandstone walls. The cannon fire that once echoed across the water. The time ball that helped ships set their clocks. And the human stories that linger in the shadow of that round stone tower.
It is a story of confinement and protection. Of vulnerability and vigilance. Of a small island that has always stood alone, right at the heart of Sydney.
Tonight, we step out into the harbour and listen to what the stone still remembers. Tonight, we walk into the smoke and steel of colonial Australia and meet the man behind the armour.
The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm
The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

Australian Bedtime Story: Fort Denison

The Cattle That Vanished

In the starving early days of the colony, they were the most valuable creatures in New South Wales. The precious cattle brought out with the First Fleet were meant to secure the future of the settlement. Milk. Breeding stock. Survival.

And then they disappeared.

Wandered off. Lost. Presumed dead.

For years, the struggling colony believed its last hope of self-sufficiency had simply vanished into the bush. But beyond the edge of the settlement, past the thick scrub and sandstone ridges of what we now call the Nepean River region, something extraordinary was happening.

The cattle weren’t gone.

They were multiplying.

When they were rediscovered, wild and thriving, they had become the foundation of Australia’s cattle industry. A mistake. A mystery. And one of the most fortunate accidents in Australian history.

Tonight, we tell the story of the herd that disappeared… and quietly built a nation.



The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm

The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

The Cattle That Vanished
In the starving early days of the colony, they were the most valuable creatures in New South Wales. The precious cattle brought out with the&nbsp;First Fleet&nbsp;were meant to secure the future of the settlement. Milk. Breeding stock. Survival.
And then they disappeared.
Wandered off. Lost. Presumed dead.
For years, the struggling colony believed its last hope of self-sufficiency had simply vanished into the bush. But beyond the edge of the settlement, past the thick scrub and sandstone ridges of what we now call the&nbsp;Nepean River&nbsp;region, something extraordinary was happening.
The cattle weren&rsquo;t gone.
They were multiplying.
When they were rediscovered, wild and thriving, they had become the foundation of Australia&rsquo;s cattle industry. A mistake. A mystery. And one of the most fortunate accidents in Australian history.
Tonight, we tell the story of the herd that disappeared&hellip; and quietly built a nation. 
The Nightline Australian Bedtime Story, weeknights 11:10pm
The Nightline with Cheralyn Darcey from 2HD Newcastle and across Australia on the Super Radio Network live weeknights from 8pm to midnight - news, views and a bit of fun

Australian Bedtime Story: The First Fleet Cattle That Vanished

Scam Safe: The 5 Things Kylee Dennis Would Never Do Online

What would a private investigator never do on the internet?

This week on The Nightline, Kylee Dennis from Two Face Investigations pulls back the curtain on the digital mistakes that are costing everyday Australians thousands. From oversharing on social media to clicking links that look “almost right,” Kylee reveals the five things she personally refuses to do online  and why you shouldn’t either.

If you’ve ever thought, “That would never happen to me,” this is the episode that might change your mind.

It’s practical, it’s eye-opening, and it could save you from becoming the next target.

Listen in and protect yourself before it’s too late.

https://www.twofaceinvestigations.au/

Scam Safe: The 5 Things Kylee Dennis Would Never Do Online
What would a private investigator&nbsp;never&nbsp;do on the internet?
This week on The Nightline, Kylee Dennis from Two Face Investigations pulls back the curtain on the digital mistakes that are costing everyday Australians thousands. From oversharing on social media to clicking links that look &ldquo;almost right,&rdquo; Kylee reveals the five things she personally refuses to do online&nbsp; and why you shouldn&rsquo;t either.
If you&rsquo;ve ever thought, &ldquo;That would never happen to me,&rdquo; this is the episode that might change your mind.
It&rsquo;s practical, it&rsquo;s eye-opening, and it could save you from becoming the next target.
Listen in and protect yourself before it&rsquo;s too late. <a href="https://www.twofaceinvestigations.au/">https://www.twofaceinvestigations.au/</a>

Australian Bedtime Story: Paronella Park

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