Port Macquarie visitor attraction up for sale

Closed since 2002, the former Fantasy Glades fantasy-themed attraction in Port Macquarie is up for sale.

With its medieval-style castle and a selection of themed small cottages on the grounds, Fantasy Glades also features parklike acres, rustic bridges, a church and an impressive beachfront front location.

Located at 5 Parklands Close, close to Port Macquarie’s Shelly Beach the site, the heavily wooded area is adjacent to a koala corridor and is home to local wildlife. It also features an array of bushland trails leading across rustic bridges and alongside serene streams.

McGrath agent David Geary said the “once in a lifetime opportunity”, was attracting huge interest and was the most viewed property in NSW earlier this month.

Geary advised “it’s popular for many reasons, more than three million people visited it over its lifetime so there are a lot of memories.”

McGrath agent David Geary said the “once in a lifetime opportunity”, was attracting huge interest and was the most viewed property in NSW earlier this month.

Geary advised “it’s popular for many reasons, more than three million people visited it over its lifetime so there are a lot of memories.”

He said the current owner had spent years restoring the site, including the castle and old Snow White’s house, however had decided to move on, adding “there’s opportunities for a few different uses, whether or not there’s scope for a theme park again with all the new rules and regulations.

“There’s a lot of people in Port Macquarie keen to see it back to its former glory.

“There’s DA approval for cabins. It’s going to be a specific buyer that wants to work with it.”

For nearly 35 years, Fantasy Glades was one of the most successful and beloved of the mid-sized themed attractions that once dotted the coast between Sydney and Brisbane.

With a part-storybook theme that would never escape a lawsuit today, it drew more than three million visitors from its opening in 1968 to its closure in 2002.

Unlike many similar attractions which have reinvested an remain (such as the Big Banana at Coffs Harbour) or have been closed and redeveloped, Fantasy Glades didn’t shut down because it ran out of money.

In 2002, the owners, George and Pat Spry who bought the business in the 1980s, retired for family reasons.

Since then, a succession of owners have announced plans for the site, none of which have eventuated while nature has swallowed up much of the site.

At present there is no disclosed price guide for the sale.

The former theme park is for sale via EOI closing on 21st July.

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Images courtesy of McGrath real estate.