Ghosts, haunted, spooky New Zealand hotels

1. Vulcan Hotel, St Bathans

   Once upon a time there were 19 hotels in St Bathans, now there is one with a population of less than 10 souls. Ghostly Rose is not counted among the living. Rose haunts the Vulcan Hotel. A girl who entertained guests in the hotel bedroom, or perhaps the cleaning lady she was murdered in bedroom, number one. Today guests talk about a chill in the room, framed pictures being turned upside down (Victorian funeral practice) and groaning in the hallway. Kettles have boiled without human intervention and a transparent ghostly form surrounded by white mist is sometimes seen reclining on a chair.

2. Cardrona hotel

   Jimmy Patterson, owner of the historic Cardrona Hotel (1920’s – 1961) was a control freak. Jimmy decided how much a patron could drink. Any mention of a journey over the high altitude Crown Range and it was only one drink. And Jimmy would not sell alcohol to women who were reduced to asking a male friend to purchase on their behalf. Jimmy owned the hotel until his death at 91. Now Jimmy just doesn’t know how to let go. He is still trying to tell people what to do and is the resident ghost. Considered to be one of most photographed hotels in the country and boasting its own resident ghost, the Cardrona was established in 1862.

3. Waitomo Caves hotel

   What a collection of ghosts on the site of a former British military fortification. The ghosts include a crying lost child, a Maori princesses who was shot by guards while meeting a lover who was a soldier at the fort. There are even tales of bathtubs filled with bloody water. And the days when shoes were left outside rooms to be polished saw guest’s shoes being arranged in neat rows near the staircases.

4. Riccarton Racecourse Hotel, Riccarton

   Publican Donald Fraser was murdered in the hotel in 1933. Mrs Fraser claimed to have been asleep in the bed while Donny was shot twice with a double-barrelled shotgun. Donald was abusive, violent, often drunk and had been caught having an affair with Eileen Hardcastle of Wellington. He was known to physically throw people out of his hotel if he did not like them.  Police conducted an extensive investigation into his murder, but the case was never solved. While Mrs Fraser was questioned by the police she continued to deny any knowledge of the crime and was acquitted of the murder, which to this day is unsolved. Donald’s disembodied spectre is determined to find the murderer and haunts the hallways. Guests heard the heavy tread and then got frightened when a ghost rounded the corner. Elizabeth Fraser was the sole beneficiary of Donald’s will and inherited around £670 pounds, the equivalent of more than $80,000 NZD today. She went on to run the Racecourse Hotel as sole owner until 1935.

5. The Central Hotel Dargaville

   The hotel burnt to the ground and was rebuilt in 1901. Yet the ghostly occupant, James Carmody, victim of the devastating fire, haunts the present hotel. Carmody can be summed by open fires and lit matches. Perhaps he is trying to right a wrong as the Central Hotel licensee had a series of unfortunate accidents with two other hotels burning down in similar odd circumstances.

6. Foveaux Hotel, Bluff

   The art deco beauty has a permanent guest, a ghost called Mary. Mary Cameron was the owner of the Temperance Boarding House which was demolished. The hotel was built in its place displeasing a temperance advocate. She makes her opinions heard with banging pots and loud noises especially over the bar.

7. Lyttelton Hotel, Christchurch

   The hotel burnt down with a guest sleeping. The new replacement hotel came with a resident ghost. The ghost walks in and out of the dining room and into the lounge, even during the day. It would go into the bar lounge and the owners of the hotel at the time had a small poodle and it would run around and bark at what we thought was nothing. The bar lady at the time said it was in the bar all the time and she would talk to it. Previous owners heard the ghost playing pool and when they entered the room there was no one there. This always happened prior to them opening business for the day.

8. Tophouse Hotel, ST Arnaud

   Scene of a murder / suicide in 1894 the mud-brick cob hotel has its fair share of ghosts. In 1894 Bill Batman, brother in law of the owner became infatuated with the local school teacher Miss Wylie. In a jealous rage he shot John Lane, Miss Wylie’s boyfriend. Then he went on to kill the local telegraph linesman William Wallis. Bateman then flirted with Miss Wylie chatting about a walk. Fortunately she felt something was not right. She went to the telegraph station and hid with Mrs Wallis and the children. The Nelson police arrived the following day and found Bateman had committed suicide. His ghost haunts the premises calling out for his unrequited love, Miss Wylie. He has company with Sidney Smith, an itinerant peddler in the 1890’s. Sidney used to come to Tophouse for many years selling pots/pans etc. During a routine visit his horse got spooked and kicked Sidney in the head.  He ran into the hallway and died there. There are a number of guests who report a ‘presence’ in the hotel. As a vital route between Nelson and Marlborough the Tophouse has witnessed many fights. Look for the bullet holes in the verandah roof.

GOLD RUSH FEVER – 19th century gold fields in New Zealand

There’s gold in the’ hills … the lure of instant fortune. The rush was in full flood in 1861 with Gabriel’s Gully (Lawrence) where the gold fever spread its tentacles. Within a year 10,000 mines set up tents in Gabriel’s Gully. Evocative names Dead Horse Pinch, Serpentine and Lonely Graves echo the unfulfilled optimism of 19th century prospectors.

• You will be intrigued by crude, basic stone shelters and the evidence of arduous hard physical labour to extract gold.
• Attractions range from walks among the sites, restored main streets and museums carefully documenting the story of the search for gold.
• The magnificent scenery of Central Otago and the lush forest of the West Coast is a bonus.

What to do nearby Masonic Hotel, Napier?

• Unmissable is a tour of Napier prison – Best Bits
• Touch objects, twist open, pull the handle and interact with pieces of industrial history. For parents it is amusing seeing 1950’s and 1960’s household appliances in a museum setting in the Faraday Centre

What to do nearby Rotorua’s Prince’s Gate Hotel?

• Slightly spooky with the arid landscape, stunted vegetation and birds with damaged webbed feet, find out more about Rotorua town walks, Sulphur Bay boardwalk – Best Bits
• Wonder about the terror of the night a massive volcanic erupted at Rotorua Buried Village, the story of the Tarawera eruption: Best Bits

What to do nearby Chateau Tongariro, Central North Island, NZ?

• On a budget then Turangi is the place to be, find out why Top 10 things to do in Turangi
• Relish lacing your hiking boots then Tongariro crossing – Central North Island – Best Bits is on your bucket list

What to do nearby St James Theatre, Wellington?

• Spooky tunnels, odd happenings, Wellington is the place to be, check out Wellington’s odd, fascinating and unusual things
• Abandoned military bunkers, forts, memorials and museums tell the story of Aotearoa New Zealand at war and peace, scroll through Wellington’s military history trail for holiday ideas

What to do nearby Lake Alice Hospital, Rangitikei?

• Find out about the failed dreams of returned veterans from World War I at the lonely Bridge to Nowhere
• Explore Whanganui National Park guide, activities, things to see: Best Bits and the Whanganui River

What to do nearby Camp Adair, Hunua, Auckland?

• Discover the joy of day trips and short road journeys exploring Auckland Road Trips – Best Bits

16. The Carlile House, Auckland

    The Carlile House was an orphanage for boys, in 1912 a raging fire accident took the lives of more than 40 boys. Ever since the fire, paranormal incidents have been observed. Children’s laughter, groaning and screaming are the common ones.

17. Otira Tunnel, Arthur’s Pass National Park

    One of the people who died during its construction, a Scottish construction worker, is said to be wandering around trying to find his way home. The TranzAlpine shares the tunnel with his wandering soul.

18. Quail Island Lyttleton Harbour, Christchurch

    Just a short ferry ride from Lyttelton in Christchurch. The island used to be quarantine sites to keep patients with leprosy, shipwrecks and gravesites from the island’s residents.

What to do nearby Napier Prison?

• Take time to explore nearby TE MATA PEAK. A culturally significant hilltop with extensive walking trails. Havelock North, Hawkes Bay activities, things to do & see: NZ Jane is a great location to explore nearby Te Mata Peak with a cafe stop in the village afterwards.