Latest Updates

Offering a solution: After the investigation.

Offering a solution: After the investigation.

So you’ve completed your investigation and it’s time to pack up. You go home, review your evidence, and you end up with countless EVP, and whatever else. You determine that in fact the place you’ve investigated is most likely haunted. Well, now what? Chances are after we return to give

Work in Progress? – North Shore, Auckland

Work in Progress? – North Shore, Auckland

I stumbled upon this old wreck of a place whilst out on my lunchbreak. Overgrown gardens, waste bin on the front yard broken windows and rubbish strewn everywhere….it looked abandoned. It was the fact that it was missing a front door, that I decided to have a closer look. Not

Self serving attention seekers give the finger to respect

Self serving attention seekers give the finger to respect

To those disrespectful, attention seeking (probably due to a lack of positive attention from parents) pieces of filth that chose to vandalise, loot and tag themselves all over this beautiful country home; you are common filth. If your tag is here, or you contributed to the destruction, I have to ask your

The Guyra Mystery

The Guyra Mystery

It all began on Friday 8th April 1921. Twelve-year old Minnie Bowen was walking to the old weather board cottage she lived in with her family, about 1km outside of the town of Guyra. As she walked she was pursued by a man who assaulted her by throwing stones. Minnie,

Kingseat History and Nurses Hostel Walk-through

Kingseat History and Nurses Hostel Walk-through

We uncover the chequered history of this notoriously haunted psychiatric hospital and share our impressions from our initial location scout at the former nurses hostel and Spookers attraction.

A father’s visit

A father’s visit

I have always been very close to my father, even after he passed away. I’m usually the last one to go to bed in our house due to my insomnia. Sometimes I find I just can’t sleep, so stay up and keep myself occupied by watching TV, reading, sewing and sometimes

30 East Drive – Pontefract

30 East Drive – Pontefract

   In September 2017, I was privileged to gain a few hours access to investigate the notoriously haunted Number 30 East Drive in Pontefract, which has stood empty since the Pritchard family fled after they were subjected to years of torment by the so-called ‘Black Monk of Pontefract’. The poltergeist

Lake House Art Centre – Mark’s solo session

Lake House Art Centre – Mark’s solo session

Last night I decided to head out and Investigate alone. Well, I think I was alone. No one seemed to be answering me. Thought I’d spend some time in one of our fav’ ongoing research locations, the Lake House Art Centre. A chilly, but very peaceful night, without much going

Glen Eden Railway Station

Glen Eden Railway Station

We take a rail journey out to West Auckland to document this famously haunted landmark and one of the city’s last original railway buildings. History The station house is a local historical landmark that was restored in 2001. A cafe is in the old station building. When first opened, one


Editor's Choice
Firth Tower Museum: Barn / Cinema building – Matamata
Firth Tower Museum: Barn / Cinema building – Matamata20/02/2021Haunted Locations / Historic Buildings / Paranormal New ZealandFeb 20th 2021, Haunted Auckland’s Mark, Aimee, Sam and Guest Investigator Clint Lawson spent a night investigating various buildings within the stunning grounds of the Firth Tower Museum in Matamata. One of the buildings documented that session was the old Barn, complete with its own little movie theatre. Here you will find exhibits of the “drowned” Hora Hora Dam, Matamata’s doctors, dentists and hospitals, the history of movie going in Matamata and Waharoa, the Kaimai NAC disaster and late 19th and 20th century wars. There are interesting displays of horse transport, delivery and passenger vehicles. Ghost Stories We were told a story about a woman doing the tour of the barn and she saw a man in military uniform walking around (in the barn) only to be told later by staff that she was alone in the barn and there was definitely no one dressed in military uniform on site at the time. Also in the barn, a Maori lady with children mentioned that she felt the barn was “tapu”. As the children entered the building, they became quite agitated and frantically started pointing at “something” and getting quite upset, which resulted in them making a quick exit. What was in the barn that scared this family off?   [...] Read more...
Grand Chateau Tongariro Hotel
Grand Chateau Tongariro Hotel30/01/2023Haunted LocationsGrand Chateau Tongariro is a New Zealand hotel and resort complex located close to Whakapapa ski-field on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. It is also close to the volcanic peaks of Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, within the borders of the Tongariro National Park, New Zealand’s oldest national park. The Grand Chateau Tongariro Hotel building was finished in 1929 and remains in a pre-Depression era style, despite subsequent refurbishment. History In 1887 the Ngāti Tūwharetoa paramount chief, Horonuku Te Heu Heu Tūkino gifted the Maori tribe’s land to the people of New Zealand. The intent was ensure the area, including the sacred peaks of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, was protected for all time, for all people. In 1923, the Tongariro National Park Board investigated a site for a hostel to encourage tourists to visit the newly formed National Park. In 1925 the New Zealand Government offered to lease the land and lend up to £40,000 to any company which would build and operate a hotel on the site. That same year a new road was pushed through towards Mt Ruapehu using labour from the Whakapapa prison camp early in 1925. Until then the trail to Whakapapa had been a rough and potentially dangerous trek with many kilometres of untamed country to cross on foot or horseback, wild rivers to ford and mountainous terrain to navigate. The Chateau was designed by Timaru-based architect Herbert Hall , who based his design on the Canadian Resort of Lake Louise and design it in a neo-Georgian structure of four stories and basement. The foundation stone was laid in early 1929. Using a workforce of over 80, with the construction company offering an incentive of free accommodation and a free suit to workers. Most of the labourers were recruited from the Waikune Prison. Construction was completed on 1st August 1929. The Chateau was commandeered by the New Zealand government as an asylum when an earthquake damaged a hospital in Wellington and then served as a rest and recuperation centre for Air Force personnel returning from service in World War II. In 1948, newly renovated, the Chateau reopened to provide accommodation for visitors to Mt Ruapehu and the Tongariro National Park. In January 2023 the Grand Chateau Tongariro Hotel announced it would close permanently from February as result of a seismic assessment highlighting safety issues with parts of the building. Reported Hauntings The Grand Chateau Tongariro Hotel’s spooky tales date back to its use as a women’s asylum in the early 1940’s, following the temporary closure of the Porirua Lunatic Asylum due to the 1942 Wairarapa earthquake. The staff tell stories of a nurse named Charlotte, who was said to have died in one of the rooms. It is believed that Charlotte continues to make her presence felt in the hotel, particularly in one of the rooms which was said to be her favourite. Staff and guests also report mysterious instances of fires stuttering in their fireplaces, and curtains moving as if blown by a strong breeze, despite no breeze being felt. Many also remark on the hotel’s resemblance to the Overlook Hotel from Stephen King’s The Shining, which was based on the notoriously haunted Stanley Hotel in Colorado. Is it possible the presence of former staff, patients and soldiers still linger in the halls of this remote landmark? If you have a tale to tell about the Grand Chateau Tongariro, let us know in the comments below. [...] Read more...
Lake Alice Hospital – Manawatu
Lake Alice Hospital – Manawatu01/05/2017Abandoned Buildings / Haunted LocationsLake Alice Hospital was once a rural psychiatric facility situated in the Manawatu region, catering to the full mental health spectrum, from troubled youth and the criminally insane to the elderly with dementia. The sprawling complex, opened in August 1950, spread out across 56 hectares of land consisting of ten two-level villas, each with eleven beds for patients, four two-level villas housing 50 beds, a maximum security wing, morgue, chapel, library, staff quarters, administration building, landscaped grounds complete with vegetable gardens, sporting areas and two swimming pools. The hospital even had its own fire station. The facility slowly shut down during the mid 1990s, with plans to assimilate patients back into the community. It was an idea that divided many in the community, as public safety concerns came into question. Full closure of the hospital was implemented in October 1999. Former patients of the hospital’s child and adolescent unit have made allegations of abuse that happened at the hospital during the 1970s, including the use of electroconvulsive therapy and paraldehyde injections as punishment. The New Zealand government issued an apology in 2001, and has so far paid out a total of $10.7 million in compensation to 183 former patients. Auckland accountant and property developer’s group Lake Hicks Ltd purchased the buildings and grounds in July 2006, though redevelopment plans came to a halt after the new owners fell into financial difficulties and could go no further with it. Lake Alice was sold on once more in December 2008 with plans to demolish most of the buildings to make way for farmland after plans for a subdivision failed. At this time, only a handful of buildings remain, abandoned and derelict, having been vandalised by trespassing urban explorers and thrill seeking teens looking for a spooky place to party. Much of the complex has gone and the remaining villas, which had asbestos roofing, are being carefully demolished one by one.   There are many stories that have circulated through the generations of the Lake Alice Hospital being actively haunted by spirits. Staff working their shifts have told of mysterious apparitions, voices, being touched by invisible hands, surgical equipment moving without human interaction and figures seen wandering the halls. [...] Read more...
St James Theatre, Auckland – Return visit
St James Theatre, Auckland – Return visit18/09/2015Abandoned Buildings / Historic Buildings / InvestigationsThe team gained a second session within the mighty St James Theatre, to follow up on our recent exploratory session, with more indepth investigation, further exploration and documentation and a few communication attempts. This time we were joined by Joshua and Hinemoa from Hamilton’s Midnight Paranormal. [...] Read more...
Death of a legend: NZ’s Moehau
Death of a legend: NZ’s Moehau20/06/2007Cryptozoology / Kiwi Cryptids / Opinions and TheoriesIt has often been mentioned there are no bodies, that one conclusive tangible piece of evidence, ever found of hominid cryptids. Why? Here in New Zealand, as would be the situation with our Moehau – New Zealand’s Bigfoot, once something dies in the bush it is very quickly adsorbed into the ecosystem and little to no trace of it remains. Many wayward trampers have ended their lives in this manner, never to be found. If an animal were buried, the chances of discovery in regions of dense rainforest or bush would be slim. Most human bodies found in such areas are either chance finds, or found because they are in shallow graves which due to environmental factors or animal disturbance become exposed. Another consideration is many hominids are described as having a social structure, family groups or territorial clans. If these sorts of social structures exist, it may further be that these beasts in addition have a concept of death and an afterlife. If this were so, burial may be a part of this notion. Assuming Hominids do have a loss concept, burials would certainly be deep enough so that the corpse would not be disturbed or molested by animals. I should think a secluded spot would additionally be chosen to give the departed one solitude and perhaps stop desecration by rival social groups. These creatures live in the wilderness, it’s their home, and they know it intimately. They are extremely skilled at concealment, not only of themselves, but their activities. Anyone entering a burial area would be hard-pressed to notice anything amiss. In nature, any void is quickly filled over by vegetation. The chances of stumbling upon such a grave are remote, even after just a few weeks. We know from testimonials, casts and eyewitness accounts these hominids are not immune to injury, disease and no doubt misadventure. There have been incidences reported where American Bigfoot have been struck by cars and literally left on the side of the road, only for the motorist to return and find no injured Bigfoot or body. Some casts have been found in the United States showing foot irregularities due to disease or injury. Some of these abnormalities show as having afflicted the sufferer for a long period of time. If this is true, the hominid would have needed the help of others in order to survive. It seems they care for their sick and injured. It’s therefore not unfair to assume there is further an afterlife concept among such creatures, or even a tie of mutual caring and affection. If this was not so, why waste effort and resources caring for the sick and infirm. This raises an interesting point, many indigenous societies suffered at the hands of their colonizers. The diseases they brought with them, to which the native community had no resistance, decimated many societies. If the Hominids are close human relatives, then cross contamination is a possibility. If this were to happen, it could have a disastrous effect on populations, especially isolated ones. This may have been the case with the New Zealand Moehau. Once European settlement commenced, the Moehau sightings decreased. Could European-introduced diseases be the cause? The Moehau was already, it would appear, to have been declining in population before the Europeans arrived. This may have been due to habitat destruction due to the massive burn-offs the Maori used to clear land for cultivation. The introduction of European disease may have tipped the scales, leading to their potential extinction. If this was the case, extermination could have happened in a very short space of time. It’s interesting to contemplate that the frequency of Moehau reports decreased as settlers penetrated the more remote areas of New Zealand, especially in the southern districts such as Otago and Canterbury, once gold was discovered and mining commenced. If this did not have some impact on the Moehau, if anything one would have expected sightings to have increased, not declined. This, along with the more sophisticated advanced weaponry the Colonizers brought with them, the risk of catching a fatal infection, may have been responsible for the change in behaviour of the Moehau and other New Zealand Hominids. They moved from being aggressive and dominating to being shy, retiring creatures that avoided man as much as possible. With the appearance of the Europeans, something changed in their attitude. Who knows? Perhaps the answer lies buried in the bush and may never be found, or if disease has wiped this species out without our first getting to know it, somewhere out in the bush the answer to one of New Zealand’s most enigmatic mysteries lies undiscovered. [...] Read more...
The Leviathan Hotel – Dunedin. Investigation 2 – June 4th 2022
The Leviathan Hotel – Dunedin. Investigation 2 – June 4th 202204/06/2022Haunted Locations / Historic Buildings / Hotels and Businesses / Investigations / Paranormal New ZealandWhen the Leviathan Railway Temperance Hotel was built in 1884 it was situated beside the harbour, beside the original railway station, on land, which had been reclaimed from the harbour, with rock dumped during the flattening of Bell Hill. With 150 bedrooms, the Leviathan was then reputed to be the largest hotel in Australasia. The name Leviathan originates from the book of Revelations in the Bible and is used to describe a huge creature usually of the sea. There were big changes in the 1950s around the time when the Queen came to Dunedin soon after her coronation. The Leviathan Hotel was extensively ”modernised” with most of the original ornate exterior being removed, and the dining room renovated. The 150 rooms were reduced to 75 rooms by making each alternate room into an ensuite. There are thought to be numerous ghosts residing in this labyrinth-like beast of a landmark. On the third floor of the hotel it is reputed that a ghost of an unknown lady lives. Many staff that have worked here acknowledge its existence. Their experiences range from a cool and spooky feeling, to glasses of water appearing and disappearing, doors opening and closing, floors squeaking from footsteps or your name being called but with nobody there. She is a nice ghost, and the general view is that it is Mrs Antiss Silk, forever watchful of her charge. Mrs Silk was the second owner of the leviathan. Antiss ruled the Leviathan with an iron. hand. All staff had daily uniform inspections and woe betide anyone who was caught misbehaving. It is as though she is still there, running the hotel and keeping everyone in line. Other alleged ghosts there, are a former Chambermaid, and a young girl that is sometimes seen and heard running along the various long corridors and playing on the stairs Haunted Auckland was last granted access back in 2015, so it was great to get back there again to spend more time. [...] Read more...

“Pioneers in the field…. Leading the way with Paranormal Research in New Zealand” – Connor Biddle, Paranormal Encounters.

“I have much respect for the level of study Mark and his team have put into the paranormal phenomenon through the years. His work is interesting and very well researched.” – Murray Bott, U.F.O Researcher & NZ’s MUFON representative.

”Refreshing to see solid and innovative investigation work, done with passion and honesty. Haunted Auckland stand out in the crowd and dont fit any typical mould. This is a very good thing”. – Paranormal Review newsletter

 

Paranormal New Zealand is a Paranormal Investigation and Research group based in Auckland, New Zealand.  It is also an extensive and much-viewed resource site covering all that is paranormal and mysterious in New Zealand and beyond.

Whether you’ve been aware of Mark Wallbank’s research work since the 1980s, attended his early 90s discussion events, received the quarterly newsletters, subscribed to his popular mid-2000s online blog BizarreNZ, followed the team since 2010, attended our public events and talks, or just recently discovered us; WELCOME and thanks for joining in the fun, learning, and adventures.

We are a dedicated group of paranormal researchers, all having one thing in common – a passion and drive to find out as much as humanly possible about the mysterious and unknown field that is the Paranormal, as well as documenting New Zealand’s historical buildings and landmarks in their current state.

Paranormal (păr′ə-nôr′məl) adjective.
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as beyond normal experience or scientific explanation. The term “paranormal” has existed in the English language since at least 1920. The word consists of two parts: “para” and “normal”. The definition implies that the scientific explanation of the world around us is “normal” and anything that is above, beyond, or contrary to that is “para”.

We’re always learning new things, so hope to pass that knowledge on to you all so that you might learn as we do, in this crazy but fascinating world of the paranormal.

Our primary reason for existing as a team is to experience first-hand and document any perceived paranormal activity so that we may learn to better understand the phenomena and the misconceptions surrounding it. Our aim as a research team is to study these phenomena as closely as possible to form more educated opinions via experimentation, documentation, and simply being present at the moment to record and respond accordingly to it and wherever it may lead us.

Firstly a few things you should know about Paranormal NZ (Formerly Haunted Auckland). We are a small Auckland based team of friendly, dedicated, well seasoned and enthusiastic researchers with differing levels of experience, knowledge, skills and expertise.  Our investigators are intelligent, honest, compassionate and possess critically thinking (yet wide open) minds. We’re also very good listeners.

We work closely with Property Managers, local Councils and Historical organisations to help preserve local histories, bring further awareness and raise funds by running public events.

In our time, the team has successfully raised many (much needed) thousands of  dollars, to assist with the upkeep and general running of these wonderful historic locations. Something we are very proud of.

We are also very proud to have worked alongside and assist both the NZ Police and NZ Fire Services with our work.

Paranormal NZ has it’s roots deep and strong. Going back to 1984, with a team (Auckland Ghost Hunting Group) formed by founder, Mark Wallbank; making them NZ’s longest running Paranormal field-research entity.

Team Evolution Timeline

1984 – Auckland Ghost Hunting Group

Independent / Solo Research

2003 – 2010  – BizarreNZ

2010 – 2023 – Haunted Auckland

Changed team name to Paranormal New Zealand in 2023

What we aren’t:

We aren’t Ghost Busters, Ghost Hunters, Exorcists, Mediums, Clairvoyants or Psychics and we don’t do clearings, blessings or rid homes of alleged demons. We don’t do prayers, rituals, or bring in any religious elements to our work. We aren’t mental health experts or sleep disorder professionals, though we do work closely with mental health professionals.

We travel that spooky road, between sceptic and believer. We are happy to sit right in amongst it all and take the research wherever it may lead us.

While we are sceptical and doubtful of certain cases and ideas, we have seen and experienced enough in our time to realise that dedication to the research is definitely a worthwhile cause. Instead of blindly believing (or disbelieving), or just accepting what we are told is true and real, we prefer to seek out the answers ourselves through first-hand, “boots on the ground” investigation. Experimentation, observation and documentation. We don’t have all the answers and we don’t consider ourselves experts.

We don’t make bold claims we can’t back up with evidence or reliable data.

The team prides itself in being quite a bit different from other paranormal investigation teams out there. We tend to stay away from the mainstream gadget fads.

Research time in locations is valuable and a privilege, so wasting it on pointless flashy boxes that offer no accurate data in return or are vague and open to interpretation (as well as mis-interpretation) is counter-productive and a poorly used opportunity. Thinking outside of the ‘’box’’ confinements of the popular T.V and social media- lead mainstream is something, the team sees as important if the field is to move forward and gain any serious credibility or traction within scientific or even academic circles.

The team utilises a combination of old-school thinking and techniques, coupled with a modern way of thinking. Simple and stripped back yet embracing current technology to work though theories and ideas that may find their way into our research. We don’t make claims we can’t back up with evidence or reliable data.

We pride ourselves in keeping it real. No faking evidence or embellishing of facts. If nothing happened, nothing happened.

Why we don’t offer Clearings and Banishings

We decided many years ago to stop offering clearings and cleansings, as the more we learned, the more unethical (even damaging) we could see it was on a few levels.
We wanted to experience and observe these ”beings” and learn about them. Learn from them directly, if such a thing is possible.
To hopefully interact and document as much as we could of it to advance the study of the paranormal.

If the theories on spirits are correct, then clearing, or ”banishing” becomes nothing more than a punishment, torture, an eviction from a home, or even a death. Death to a person (possibly living in an alternative dimension we are yet to even understand or comprehend), that has as much right to exist as ourselves.
Until ghosts, spirits, negative energies, and demons have been sufficiently verified to actually exist, (to which they as yet haven’t, outside of belief, possible misinterpretation, and superstition) it would be unethical to assume a position of knowledge and superiority enough to think we have rights that far outweigh theirs. That we may enter their home and try to evict or eradicate them as if they were cockroaches or some other household pest.

It’s about respect, understanding and compassion; on both sides.

What we are, is “real world” researchers. Learning by doing. If we don’t know something, we say so.

We don’t charge anything for what we do. The opportunity to investigate a location and hopefully further our research is its own great reward.

We follow the Scientific Method as closely as we are able to; though it’s not always easy to create a fully controlled environment and the fact that true paranormal activity is sporadic and very rare means we don’t always have a lot to go on. Still, we do our best with what we have to work with at the time and go wherever it takes us.

We go to where the stories come from in order to see for ourselves. We talk to the people involved to get their sides to the occurrences.

Our conclusions are never really final and we find multiple return visits yield the best results; so have built up trusting relationships with quite a few locations within the historical communities in this country.

Our clean and respected reputation within historical circles is something the team prides itself on, as it has grown over the last decade and is based on well over 200 investigation sessions within that time.

For a full listing of References & testimonials, please visit our TESTIMONIALS page on this website.

Exploration – Observation – Experimentation – Documentation … Ultimately leading to Interaction, Understanding and Conclusion.

KEEPING IT REAL

Please check out our website and don’t hesitate to make contact if you have any queries or would like to know more about what we do.

We’re always happy to talk about spooks!

Through the years the team have investigated:

Auckland

Wellington

Northland

                                                                    Dargaville Central Hotel

Coromandel

Waikato

Hawkes Bay

Central North Island

  •                                                                Chateau Tongariro Hotel                                                               Jubilee Pavillion – Marton

 

Northern South Island

                                                                                 Trout Hotel

West Coast and Central South Island

  • Seaview Asylum
  • Otira Stagecoach Hotel

Canterbury

  • The Old Shipping Office (Akaroa)

Otago

  • Cardrona Hotel
  • Vulcan Hotel (St Bathans)

Dunedin

United Kingdom

  • The Drovers Inn – Scotland
  • Traquair House – Innerleithen
  • Ancient Ram Inn – Wooton-Under-Edge
  • 30 East Drive – Pontefract
  • Boleskine House – Scotland
  • Ballachulish Hotel – Glencoe
  • Chillingham Castle
  • The Golden Fleece – York
  • Bunchrew House – Scotland
  • Oswald House – Kirkcaldy
  • The Skirrid Inn – Abergavenny
  • Halston Hall – Carlisle
  • Airth Castle
  • Dalhousie Castle
  • Barcaldine Castle – Oban
  • The Witchery – Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh Vaults – Scotland
  • Touchwood House – Scotland
  • Greyfriars Kirkyard – Scotland
  • The Hellfire Club – Ireland
  • Ostrich Inn – Slough
  • Caynton Caves –  Shropshire
  • Four Crosses Inn – Staffordshire
  • Torwood House – Scotland
  • Dalhousie Castle – Scotland
  • Windhouse – Yell, Shetland
  • Swan Hotel – Wooton-on-Edge
  • Weston Hall – Staffordshire
  • Clava Cairns – Inverness, Scotland
  • The Queen’s Head Hotel – Troutbeck
  • Haunted Antiques Paranormal Research Centre – Hinkley

Australia

YHA [Katoomba]

Hartley Village [NSW]

Quarantine Station [Manly]

The Russell Hotel [Sydney]

Maitland Gaol [NSW]

Kilmore Gaol [Melbourne]

Aradale Lunatic Asylum [Melbourne]

 

Hawaii

Kaniakapupu Palace Ruins – Nuúanu Pali – Manoa – Oahu Cemetery [Oahu]

Norfolk Island

New Gaol – The Crank Mill – Bloody Bridge

Cryptozoological Field Research

YOWIE RESEARCH: Blue Mountains [ Australia] – Kanangra Ranges [Australia] – Blue Mountains Exploration: Research Area – Bullaburra [Australia]

MOEHAU RESEARCH: Coromandel Ranges [New Zealand] – Urerewa Ranges [New Zealand]

LAKE MONSTER RESEARCH: Loch Ness [Scotland]

 

… as well as many private home visits around Auckland and surrounding towns and extensive investigation and exploration internationally.

Some of the services and experience we have on offer:

Research and Investigation of buildings, historical locations and businesses

Photo & video analysis

Photographic enhancements

General paranormal consultation

Historical Research

Conferences / Public speaking

Educational talks & fundraising for historical locations

Media interviews