january-2010

Kids love undertaking the Kids Quest
in the Crystal Castle gardens
Photos: Tourism New South Wales
There’s plenty to explore, from a range of
gardens decorated with Buddhist and Hindu
statues, to beautiful trails such as the Buddha
walk, shaded by stands of bamboo, to a sacred
labyrinth that recreates the design of the
labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral. There are, of
course, plenty of crystals to admire, including
Australia’s heaviest crystal (a four-tonne
pink rose quartz) and its largest — two 3.5m
amethyst geodes.
“What we’ve tried to do is create a place
that enriches the spirit, that lets people step
off the merry-go-round of their busy lives,”
King says. “A lot of people enjoy the peaceful
side, the contemplation, but we also have a
Kids Quest for the children, that lets them
explore the entire area to fi nd the answers to
20 questions.”
The Crystal Castle is one place to
contemplate the beauty of nature, another
is Mount Warning, the extinct volcano whose
silhouette dominates the horizon. The
mountain is sacred to the local Bundjalung
people, who call it Wollumbin, and they
ask visitors not to climb it. Instead, try
one of the easy paths through the
area’s dense rainforest. A good option
is the Lyrebird Walking Track, a gentle
stroll through 200m of palm forest
that fi lters the light into soft shades
of green. Occasionally, the call
of a lyrebird will punctuate the
forest sounds.
Again, the comforts of civilisation
are close at hand: from here it’s
just a short drive to the charming
Mavis’ Kitchen. This restaurant
is set in an airy old Queenslander
home, where mouth-watering
meals are made with organic
produce from the restaurant’s
own garden.
WHAT WE’VE TRIED TO DO IS
CREATE A PLACE THAT ENRICHES
THE SPIRIT THAT LETS PEOPLE
STEP OFF THE MERRY-GO-ROUND
OF THEIR BUSY LIVES
“We’re all about connecting food to the
garden: what we grow, we pick and we
use,” says owner Charlie Ebell, who named
the restaurant after his mum. “We want
to encourage people to connect with the
strength and beauty of sustainability.”
near Protestors Falls
HUB
BYRON BAY HINTERLAND
JANUARY 2010 53