Crystal Mountain - Auckland

Posted by Helen Hogan from New Zealand on7 Sept 2025

Helen Hogan said... We booked on line to secure a spot as we were a large group. Got there and found out our booking didn’t allow us to use any of the rides and we wound up paying extra $$$. Reception staff grumpy and terse. The park itself is run down, everything looks like it could give you tetanus. There are random items dotted around the park (plastic gorilla, faded and dilapidated plastic lion) that give you the sense that someone has just collected ‘stuff’ and put it all out on display without any concept of a theme. There are also chucks of rock lying around in an attempt to remind you that you’re at crystal mountain, but the relevance and the placement of items is random. The poor animals are sad and confined to small pens with rudimentary shelter from the elements, sloshing around in heavy mud. The bags of food they sell for animal feed are mostly straw with some sparse bits of dried corn. The two ‘rides’ are ancient and feel like they are about to break down. The kids do love the rides though….. The indoor playground is good fun for the kids but the tables and chairs provided have seen a better life - wobbly and mismatching, and the overall cafe food vibe here is yellow, fried & processed. The main cafe has a wider selection of food available and the crystal shop/museum is quirky and informative. The park and crystal shop are an eclectic mix of attractions with no discernible link and beg the question ‘why?’ The site as a whole could do with a huge upgrade and the owners need to reinvest some of the revenue to improve the park. Saying all of that, my daughter loves it there - especially the rollercoaster so who knows…. we might go back at some point.