Tasmania is often said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity. With Halloween looming, ALEX DRUCE approached a handful of Tasmanian paranormal groups to find some good ghost yarns.
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Launceston Paranormal Society - Conor Miller
NOT long ago we were called to investigate a relatively new residence at Westbury where a mother lived with her four children.
Reports from the resident included hearing voices, objects moving, cupboards opening, smells of tobacco and — more alarmingly — one of her small children talking to and interacting with what seemed like another small child that she couldn't see.
On the evening of the investigation we were surprised with the level of activity we captured on our equipment.
We were able to communicate using an electromagnetic field meter by asking yes/no questions.
We had never had such activity on the EMF meter, which was only activating in line with direct questioning. There were no electrical interferences to account for the readings.
We were also able to capture on our video and audio equipment a very clear electronic voice phenomenon of a young girl who appears to be answering a question in regards to pulling an investigator's hair.
During this EVP session we were experiencing ice-cold breeze sensations around our knees. The resident informed us that this was the "little girl".
When we left the property we had no doubt the lady was not alone.
When you are able to have personal experiences and capture evidence on more than one piece of equipment, it gives a lot of credibility to what we do.
One investigator reported that at a point during the investigation he didn't feel like himself.
A usually cheerful young fellow, he reported feeling angry and irritated for no reason. He also reported that when he got home his wife said he was acting out of character.
The next day he was quite unwell and out of sorts. Although we don't claim this to be an episode of "possession", it remains a possibility.
The resident had reported that her former partner changed dramatically after moving into the property and had to leave as a result.
Launceston Ghost Tours - Kerri Lukas
I ASK everyone before they start the tour whether they are a believer or non-believer.
I consider myself a believer, but one night I decided to ask for solid evidence.
I was standing in the old stables (off Frederick Street) talking to a group. I had my back to the wall and everyone was in front of me.
It was pitch-black and I was wearing dark clothes.
I asked for proof if there were spirits present and I got hit by a pebble between the shoulderblades.
I won't be doing that again.
People have captured full-figured apparitions down there in the stables.
I've seen photos of a woman wearing a dress. I also heard voice recordings from that area.
I've had people who say they've been touched by things in there, been affected by cold breezes and chills.
Other guides say they've had things thrown at them. It's one of the most haunted places in Launceston.
A lot of people go on the tours who are already interested in ghosts and they don't really get scared - then there are others who don't believe at all who squeal.
I had one guy from Melbourne one night - he was a real non-believer.
When we got down to the stables area, I could hear him shuffling around. I asked him if he was all right and he said: "Whatever you are doing, could you please stop it."
He said cold spots were following him around and wouldn't leave him alone. He was really freaked out.
Port Arthur Ghost Tours - Colin Knight
ONE evening during a ghost tour, a group in the Convict Church were sheltering under the belfry because it had started raining.
They were all huddled together to keep warm as the guide told her stories.
At the back of the group were three young men who earlier had mentioned they were a bit sceptical when it came to ghosts and were disappointed to hear that there are no guarantees when it came to ghosts and were making silly noises.
Others in the group were getting a bit annoyed with them.
As they stood there they gradually lost focus on what the guide was saying because they started to hear something moving behind them - strange noises echoing down the belfry staircase.
As the rest of the group moved along to the next building, the three gave them the slip and headed up the belfry stairs to check it out.
Even during daylight the belfry stairs are very dark, damp-smelling, narrow and claustrophobic.
When they finally reached the top and had a look around, they were disappointed. There was nothing there.
But when they were less than halfway down the staircase, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs behind them. They froze. The footsteps continued.
At this point they started running. When they got to the bottom and were all standing on the wooden platform with rain pelting on them, there was still no one to be seen.
But the footsteps were still coming.
They heard feet step on to the wooden boards and began moving steadily towards them and moved to within a metre of where the young men stood shaking.
We will never know if the footsteps would have moved closer, because the men ran out of the building.
When they caught up with the rest of the group, they insisted on standing very close to the guide for the remainder of the tour.
Tasmania's Most Haunted - Craig Bloxsome
THIS was at the Richmond Jail on our last lock-down tour, one of the most unexplored places in Tasmania.
We had our paranormal investigator group and a psychic with us. Usually we break into two groups.
That night I went to the solitary confinement area with one group.
While we were in there the EMF monitor lit up. Asked if there were any spirits present and it lit right up again.
Asked if wanted us to be there. Lit up again. Asked if they wanted us to leave, the temperature dropped down to zero.
About a minute and a half went from nine degrees to about zero - that's in a room about one by three metres with five people in there.
On the way out one of the girls said she had seen a dark figure sitting down.
As soon as she said that, a couple of others said they had seen it too.
We left that room and went into another part of the jail. Saw the EMF monitor light up. Asked if there was anyone there.
A rock was thrown at us from the corner of the room.
Later we listened back to voice recordings and we could hear a woman say, "Yes, I am here. I want a smoke."