Paronella Park’s Mark and Judy Evans to feature in Ageless TV series

A spirited Far North Queensland couple has featured in a new national TV series, revealing how they traded the corporate city lifestyle for a decades-old Spanish castle in the rainforest.

A trailblazing Far North Queensland couple has featured in a new national TV series, revealing how they traded the corporate city lifestyle for a decades-old Spanish castle in the rainforest.

Mark and Judy Evans have owned and operated Paronella Park for the past 30 years, turning the Mena Creek attraction into one of the region’s leading tourism destinations.

Their journey has been shared in an episode of Ageless, a new TV series that challenges misconceptions about ageing and showcases older Australians living their life to the fullest.

Mark and Judy Evans, the duo behind tourism gem Paronella Park in Far North Queensland, are featured Ageless, a new Channel 9 TV series that aims to challenge misconceptions about ageing. Picture: Supplied

After several years working in the IT industry in both Perth and Singapore, the Evans family decided to travel around Australia by caravan in their search for a unique new venture.

They stumbled across the opportunity to purchase the Mena Creek property in 1993.

“We found ourselves walking through a property that just blew our minds, we really just knew this was it, and the rest is history,” Mr Evans told the Cairns Post.

“I remember Judy saying we’ll give this 10 years and here we are 30 years later.”

Mark Evans and his wife Judy purchased the Mena Creek property in 1993. Picture: Supplied

The business welcomes 80,000 guests annually and has won multiple tourism awards, including the People’s Choice for Best Tourist Attraction at last year’s Queensland Tourism Awards.

Despite now being in their early 70s, Mark and Judy – who also operate Mena Creek Hotel and Mamu Tropical Skywalk – show no signs of slowing down.

But they humbly credit the vision of the park’s founder, Jose Paronella, as well as their hardworking staff for the business’s success.

The late Joseph Mena realised his dream to build a castle, opening Paronella Park near Innisfail in 1935. On 5ha beside Mena Creek Falls he built the castle, picnic area by the falls, tennis courts, bridges, a tunnel, and wrapped it up in a garden of 7,500 tropical plants and trees. Picture: Supplied

“It was hard for us to tell our story because really, standing out in all this, is Jose Paronella’s story,” Mr Evans said.

“It’s the story of immigration, it’s the story of people coming out from various parts of the world and of course, it was even more challenging back then because they came such a long way and came by ship.

Paronella Park is one of Queensland's most unusual tourist attractions. Picture: Supplied

“He saw the waterfall and was inspired to build a ‘pleasure garden’, as he called it, and against the odds because most of the locals thought he was crazy.”

During their tenure the Evans have restored the park’s original hydro-electric system and worked hard to preserve the historic site, all while battling a handful of cyclones, countless floods and health challenges.

They say it’s all been worth it to keep the park’s legacy alive and ensure its magic endures for generations to come.

The episode aired on Channel 9 on Saturday, April 27, and can be watched any time online through the 9Now website.

Originally published as Paronella Park’s Mark and Judy Evans to feature in Ageless TV series