Crystal Castle & Shambhala Gardens, Mullumbimby

Visited Crystal Castle last week and enjoyed the experience. Above all, this property is a huge testament to the King Family's passion, vision, determination and sheer hard work. The transformation from once-bare acreage block to today's marvel is awe-inspiring. Kudos to all involved, you should be incredibly proud. That being said, I did not rate our experience as 5 stars, for several reasons: Value for money - although we spent a couple of hours roaming the grounds sightseeing, the entry cost is substantial, especially when considering that many parks, botanical gardens, etc., are free of charge. I do appreciate that this is a private business and thus needs cash flow to stay afloat. School groups - again, as a business open to the public, I understand that school groups are included. For us, however, what should have been a serene, tranquil experience, was not the case. There was a large number of primary school children on site, who ran amok the entire time, yelling and screaming without pause. Having a play ground facility is an unusual and possibly unwise choice, as it quite literally ruined the ambience one would expect in such an environment. As a parent, I understand that kids will be kids; I'm just not sure Crystal Castle is necessarily an ideal school excursion destination. Overall, we enjoyed our time on the property and were impressed by the amazing crystals and statues throughout. I will also add that the grounds were well maintained and very tidy. The staff were lovely and, as an added blessing, the weather was perfect. There is also a cafe offering food and drinks, as well as several gift shops offering a variety of items. I would recommend that people visit and experience the wonders for themselves.

I have mixed emotions regarding our visit. On the one hand the gardens were amazing, and as other have said this is evidenced by the photos. The vibe was chilled and the activities at each section were interesting and tranquil. On the other hand it also felt like you were paying 50 entry fee per person to go to a giant gift shop with nice views. It is certainly worth one visit, I doubt they get many repeat visitors as if they did the price wouldn't be so high. Probably should drop the price to $15 or $20 as that would take the sting out of it. It is family friendly but wouldn't really cater for wheel chairs or small prams. All the paths are gravel for the most part. Plenty of car parking though.