Iconic New South Wales theme park Fantasy Glades is up for sale, complete with its own castle, a tiny church, and the boot-shaped home of “the old woman who lived in a shoe”.
The Port Macquarie holiday destination closed down in 2002 after 35 years in operation, but the current property owner was determined “to return it to its former glory” before selling it on.
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When Jeff Crowe “stumbled across” the unique investment with his cousin in 2015, he told Sunrise had to buy it.
“We looked at the property and found out that it had a castle and had some other tiny buildings on it, and I fell in love with it,” he said.
It’s not the first time the two-hectare fairy tale setting at Lot 5 Parklands Close has been sold.
It previously hit the market in 2008, and again in 2014 when “resurrection development” plans fell through for then-owners Karen and Shane Hay, according to social media.
While in operation, the castle was painted pink and was filled with life-sized mannequins which told the tale of Cinderella.
Meanwhile, a people-powered monorail pushed guests around the property, which played host to other popular storybook settings, such as the boot-shaped home of “the old woman who lived in a shoe”.
It was created by George and Rose Whitaker, who both lived with dwarfism.
Crowe said the mammoth restoration of the estate had been his “commitment for the last eight years”, and he is satisfied that he has achieved his goal of returning the property to its former glory.
It is now the most viewed property in the state, which Crowe said is “out of this world.”
He is fielding offers and said he will “see what the market brings” him, but confirmed the current price tag is “up there”.
The unique property is likely to be sold to buyers with a business venture in mind — it comes with DA approvals for a café in the castle, and nine self-contained cottages.
“There are going to be nine cabins at the back of the property, so it’s going to be a business with the cabins, and also a business with the castle, and you’ll be able to live down here also,” Crowe told Sunrise.
The property is also metres from Shelly Beach, and has dual street frontages that overlook native rainforest.
McGrath Real Estate Agents Nathan Owen and David Geary said they are looking forward to seeing Crowe’s hard work pay off.
“We are so excited to see this project come to life for the vendor who has put in so much time and work to restore the property and pave the way for an eco-friendly project for a developer with a vision,” they said.