A family friendly excursion that will appeal to fans of knights, kings, queens, wizards, dragons and anything medieval!  A combination of theatre and experiences – that make for a fun day out.

When:  10.00am – 5.00pm every day of the year (except Christmas Day), including public holidays.

Where:  121 Forbes Road, Leigh Creek  VIC

Cost:  Adults $28.50, Children (4-16 years) $17, Children under 4 free.  For more information click here.

Review

About an hour out of Melbourne (our trip from Prahran took 1 hour  and 10 minutes on a quiet Sunday) and 10 minutes before Ballarat, nestled on the side of a hill, is Kryal Castle.  Kryal Castle reopened its doors in March this year – and has undergone some changes.  It’s been about 30 years since I last went and I am afraid my only lasting memory was witnessing a rather traumatic flogging demonstration – I can reassure you that this is no longer the norm, Kryal Castle is firmly focussed on providing families of all ages a fun medieval experience.

FYI there is very little signage warning you about Kryal Castle as you approach – about 500m before the turn off from the Western Freeway there is a sign letting your know you need to turn, but that was the only sign I saw.  Other than that I had to trust in my GPS (which didn’t recognise Kryal Castle as a destination – only its street address).  But as soon as you do turn off the Freeway you will see the castle in the distance and finally the “are we there yet” cries turn into “look look there’s the castle!”.

My two had lots of questions – was it real, was there really a real dragon, would we see a king, do they fight with real swords… okay so mostly Charlie (5) had questions, Imogen (7) was pretty confident that it was mostly make believe, but she was very excited as we walked up to the castle to see that it really looked like the genuine thing (well going from what she knows from fairy tales and movies).  There was a drawbridge and a moat (keep toddlers within your grasp as you can very easily step off the drawbridge into said moat) and once inside it’s dark and gloomy with high ceilings – a few knights are positioned around the room as well as a robotic dragon – Charlie was very pleased to inform anyone who cared to listen that it wasn’t a real dragon.

To your left is the ticket office where we collected our map as well as a printout of the days schedule – the staff (dressed in mediaeval attire) informed us that there was one scary bit we should probably avoid (recommended for 12+) called the Torture Dungeon & Museum – and we did pass the entrance to this during our visit but it was fairly understated and so the kids actually didn’t even notice it (not that they would have wanted to go in if I had explained it was scary).  Otherwise our day was very lighthearted and lots of fun.

After you collect all the information at the ticket office you proceed into the Dragon’s Labyrinth – a trip through the tunnels “under the castle” (you aren’t really under the castle though – but the illusion is a bit of fun, although the exit from the tunnel into the park felt a little underwhelming).  After this little tour you exit into the Castle grounds and are left to your own devices – there are loads of things to go and see as well as a number of shows and exhibitions that happen regularly during the day.

We had a bit of a slow start to our Sunday so we didn’t quite make it in time for the first two activities of the day (which started at 10.30am and 11am).  We popped out of the Dragon’s Labyrinth at about 11.30am, so we made our first stop the Wizard’s Workshop – where the resident Wizard is happy to engage in any lively banter (or questions) you may have.  We moved on from the Wizard to the Jester’s Theatre Show, which was lots of fun – the two performers were really engaging and had kids and grown ups alike joining in and having a laugh.

As well as the Knights of The Round Table meeting, the weapons display, fairytale story telling and jousting (or in our case, as the ground wasn’t safe enough for a joust, archery and sword fighting) there are also a number of things to do.  We visited the blacksmith (who was making arrow heads – he also makes custom swords if you’re in the market for a sword made to measure) and the calligrapher who, for a gold coin, will write your name.  We went through the maze, tried out the stocks, spent a bit of time in the gift shop and also the sweet store, tried to release the sword from the stone, had a giggle in the graveyard (well I did) and generally soaked up the atmosphere.

All up we spent four hours at Kryal Castle and, given it’s largely an outdoors experience, on a day where it was 10C with moments of drizzle, that seemed like a good amount of time.  We stopped for some lunch; we brought our own, but there is a cafe/bakery on site which sells the usual hot food as well as pre made rolls and salads – certainly adequate if you haven’t packed a picnic, but a simple packed lunch would not leave you feeling you’d missed out on any major culinary delights.  We also revisited areas the kids wanted to see again – you could easily see everything much more quickly (if you were in a particular hurry) but the demonstrations and performances, as well as the opportunities to interact, are really what make the day come alive.

When we left Melbourne that morning the kids weren’t so keen on a drive out of town and spending a cold day outdoors – but this was quickly forgotten as we pulled up outside the castle.  As we exited the castle via the drawbridge at the end of the day, Imogen turned to me and exclaimed, “mum, that was unreal”.

Charlie’s highlight: “fighting the knights with the sword”

Imogen’s highlight: “shooting the bow and arrow”

Thank you Kryal Castle for inviting us to visit.  One day (if we are brave enough) we will have to visit the Torture Dungeon too! 

Kryal Castle also provide birthday party’s, can be hired as a venue for events, have on site accommodation and host “dinner and a show” events too, visit www.kryalcastle.com.au for more information.