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.

Wonderfully calming gardens with exquisite crystals. The singing bowl was probably the most relaxing experience I have had for many years. The restaurant is really lovely. Cannot fault the grounds. Truly beautiful. It is a little pricey at $49 but I would definitely recommend.

My advice…. Ignore the price and just enjoy the garden for what it is, stunning! Gardens are a short, circa 25 minute drive out of Byron Bay. There is easy parking access and the roads there are winding but not too bad. The gardens are simply stunning. You could soak up a number of hours just walking around and taking in all the little details. Just gorgeous. The elephant in the room is the price… Family of four plus a retired grandparent was around $160. Not the end of the world, just really not cheap. I would still recommend going, but the price would probably stop me going back a second time… That said, still a strong recommend from me!!!

Choose carefully when to go, can be very busy. Crystals are lovely but the entry price is a bit steep, At least in my personal opinion. Unless you are really into the "spirituality" and healing of these crystals then the price can be justified. Either way it's worth going just for the massive crystals. The road to get there is tight and a tad slippery in wet weather, worth taking your time and not trying to do the speed limit. Would go here again but not during "Peak" hours