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Big Bird’s Last Stand

Big Bird’s Last Stand

Cryptozoology can be separated into three classifications: Out of place animals – Alien Big Cats in Britain for example. Previously unknown species – for example Bigfoot and the Mongolian Death Worm. Paleocryptids – those species that once existed but though extinct still make appearances and leave evidence of their continued

Waking Paralysed: Abduction or sleep paralysis?

Waking Paralysed: Abduction or sleep paralysis?

Sleep In introducing the subject of sleep paralysis, it will first be necessary to outline a few facts about sleep itself. Considering that we all sleep, it is surprising that the average UFO researcher knows so little about the subject. Everyone on Earth sleeps. All close to 6 billion of

Spiritualism

Spiritualism

Different modalities of mediumship encompass clairvoyance relating to mental images, clairaudience involving auditory experiences deriving from unseen sources, ‘physical’  or ‘materialization’ manifestations with the medium typically entering a trance state, ‘automatic writing,’ and ‘Direct Voice’ phenomena where seance sitters have conversed with voices of people who’d passed over to another

Possible spirit communication at Kingseat Hospital Nurses home, Aka Spookers – April 7th 2013

Possible spirit communication at Kingseat Hospital Nurses home, Aka Spookers – April 7th 2013

The Haunted Auckland group returned to the Spookers building at Kingseat to look further into incidents which had happened on the previous investigation sessions, looking for explanations and to gather more evidence of the paranormal activity in this former psychiatric hospital. On the lower level they seemed to be having

Undisclosed Lodge, Ruapehu

Undisclosed Lodge, Ruapehu

The team were invited to join Medium Craig Wright at this beautiful secluded lodge near Mount Ruapehu to try and find some answers to the various alleged reported on going activity. Team members Mark, Barbara, Sam, Kimberley and Eddie were joined with a lodge family member, a medium Craig and

Onehunga Historic Building

Onehunga Historic Building

Haunted Auckland was invited to investigate the various unusual activities allegedly occurring in an iconic Onehunga based establishment, built in 1912.

Haunted Auckland featured on RE:News. Filmed at The LakeHouse Art Centre.

Haunted Auckland featured on RE:News. Filmed at The LakeHouse Art Centre.

Kawekaweau – Giant New Zealand Gecko

Kawekaweau – Giant New Zealand Gecko

In 1986 in the basement of the Marseille Museum of Natural History a primitive type specimen of a large gecko was found stuffed, unlabeled, lacking any record of its collection date or its point of origin and judging from the specimen must have been there for over a century. Once

Two more houses lost to developers – Ramarama

Two more houses lost to developers – Ramarama

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

Editor's Choice
New Zealand Moose
New Zealand Moose05/01/2014Kiwi CryptidsMoose – Alces alces andersoni, were imported from Saskatchewan Canada, into the South Island by the New Zealand Acclimatisation Society as a sporting animal along with red deer in the early 20th century. These animals supposedly failed to establish, and yet sightings persisted and evidence of their continued presence continued. The initial introduction occurred in 1900 when four animals from Canada were released in Hokotika. The initial release was supposed to have been fourteen animals but ten died on the voyage from Canada. Out of these four animals only one was a cow, and was said to wander the streets of a local settlement until 1914 when it was no longer seen.These animals were presumed to have not survived and a further release was planned. This occurred on the 6th of April 1910, when six female and four male, ten month old calves were released in Supper Cove in Dusky Sound. It was believed these animals died out due to the competition from Red Deer – Cervus elaphus, however a small number must have persisted as reports of physical traces and sightings continued. These sightings became quite prevalent between 1929 and 1952. Herrick Creek was one spot where a bull moose was supposedly shot by one Eddie Herrick in 1934. This was one of a dozen animals shot between 1910 and 1952. The last one sighted and shot in 1952 was presumed to have spelt the end of the establishment of a moose population in New Zealand, in fact it would have been the only population of wild Moose in the Southern Hemisphere. Nothing more was heard of the Moose apart from rumour and speculation until a possible sighting in 1971 sparked a hunt for a possible surviving population of these enigmatic animals. More physical proof came to light in 1972 when an antler, definitely moose was found. Ken Tustin was charged with finding out if they still existed on the insistence of the New Zealand Forest Service in 1972. Research conducted by Mr Tustin suggested that a small population may have inhabited the Dusky Sound area. This was based on prints, droppings, antler casts and signs of grazing. No actual sightings of the animals were however forthcoming. The thick bush in the area kept them well hidden. Mr Tustin did not give up the search and in 1995 a picture was taken of a possible female at Herrick Creek. A single frame from a video clip showed what appeared to be the retreating figure, regrettably the image was not a clear one due to the video being in time-lapse mode which causes some distortion to the picture. The outline and stance of the animal however were quite convincing. A hair sample was found in 2000 and subjected to DNA testing. The test confirmed it was definitely Moose hair. Further evidence of their continued existence was found in 2001 when two hunters came across some more hair. This sample came from Shark Cove on the southern side of Dusky Sound and was again confirmed as Moose hair. Another hair sample was found by Mr Tustin in October 2002, snagged at waist height on some tree bark, this too was subjected to DNA testing and proved to be of Moose origin. The hairs were collected opposite Oke Island. Though no actual sightings have occurred since the 1971 one, there is plenty of physical evidence for the existence of these animals. These animals seem to be confined to the Dusky Sound area. Bedding spots and physical evidence suggest up to 20 animals may live there ( Otago Daily Times 06.10.05). Although the population is small these animals seem to be holding their own, though regrettably they have not been granted protection and are still able to be subjected to the hunters gun. If these animals are to survive they need the protection to establish a stable population, which could be possible considering the number taken by hunters early in their introduction. The area in which they live is heavy bush and this has impeded visual sightings, but the evidence is there that this species holds on in their remote piece of Fiordland. [...] Read more...
Balgonie Castle – Fife, Scotland
Balgonie Castle – Fife, Scotland31/10/2018Haunted Locations / United KingdomThe castle was built by the Sibbalds, who held the property from before 1246, but passed by marriage to Sir Robert Lundie, later Lord High Treasurer, who extended the castle about 1496. James IV visited the castle in 1496, as did Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1565. It was sold in 1635 to Alexander Leslie, who fought for Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden during the 30 Years War and was made a Field Marshall. Leslie was captured at Alyth in Angus after the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, while on the losing side against Cromwell, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London, only the intervention of the Queen of Sweden saving his life. He died at Balgonie in 1661. Balgonie was captured and plundered by Rob Roy MacGregor and 200 clansmen in 1716. It was sold in 1824 to the Balfours of Whittinghame. The castle has undergone a long-running programme of restoration and is occupied. Balgonie is believed to be haunted, and ghostly voices and apparitions have been witnessed in the Great Hall. A skeleton was found in the floor of the great hall, during works in 1912 Even when the hall is empty, sounds of conversation could be heard all day and night. The actual words spoken, however, were not recognizable. At times peals of female laughter would ring from the empty hall. In the dining room a headless soldier and an old lady had been sighted often. Apparently home to many ghosts; its most famous spirit by far is the ‘Green Lady’, or Green Jeanie. The mysterious spectre, thought to be the spirit of one of the Lundies, has been seen in recent times, and was recorded in 1842 as being a ‘well-known ghost’. The hooded woman is apparently still very much a resident in the castle to this day. She’s described as being a ‘’pea green colour and walks behind the windows,” and “Always from left to right, never from right to left’’. The story goes that Green Jeanie is Mary, a young daughter of an early Laird of Balgonie, who was courting a local lad despite disapproval from her family. Their preferred – and more aristocratic – candidate fatally stabbed the young upstart but, before he died, the local lad had enough energy to stab his attacker in return. Mary later stumbled across their bodies and, much like in Shakespeare’s Tempest, died immediately from shock. Now she haunts Balgonie Castle alongside other spirits, including the ghost of a 17th century soldier and the spirit of a dog. The castle was used as a location for the TV series Outlander, and the movie Fairy Flag. Mark from Haunted Auckland visited Balgonie Castle in October 2018, with paranormal team, Scottish Paranormal. [...] Read more...
Red Beach Private Residence
Red Beach Private Residence31/01/2014Private ResidencesThe Haunted Auckland team were contacted by a family concerned by apparent paranormal activity occurring in their suburban Red Beach home. Reported activity A “spirit” woman was seen walking across the hallway while one of the girls was in the master bedroom. The older daughter woke one night to find her room full of spirit men dressed in old clothes. A spirit hand “clicked” in front of one of the girls faces while she was in bed one night. The same girl said she could feel and hear something breathing in her room.  The mother didn’t like being in that bedroom also. She said it felt as it felt as if someone was standing beside her. The mother was recently touched while in the laundry. The oldest daughter has been hugged while sitting on the computer. One of the girls saw “bubbles” floating in front of her face one night. She described “scenes” going on in the bubbles. Light bulbs shatter regularly In the home. No faults in the power supply have been found. The sceptic father saw an apparition of a small child for himself. Previous to this incident he did not believe the stories coming from the others in the family. This is what triggered the visit request. Investigators for this session Mark, Barbara and Jessie. Home History A historical search found that this compact sized Universal Home and surrounding properties were once farmland which was subdivided around 30 years ago. The house was built around 1986 as part of a new subdivision in the Red Beach area. The family that called us in currently rent the house and have lived here for a few years. On arrival, we were shown around the house and heard the stories from the mother’s and daughter’s points of view. It seems that everyone in the home has had experiences there. Even the father (who was away overseas at the time) who, until now was a steadfast sceptic with regards to the paranormal. It was only the fact that he was witness to an apparition himself that we were asked to come and look into the activity. The mother had wondered as to whether the home may once have been used as a methamphetamine lab. There were Velcro tabs on all the windows in the lounge room as though the windows had been covered over at some point. Jessie, an ambulance medic suggested that in this case she didn’t feel the home fitted the usual methamphetamine lab profile. In her line of work, Jess is trained to identify such locations for health and safety precautions. As usual we set about documenting the home’s interior and exterior, photographically, and on video, whilst atmospheric, surface & ambient temperatures and energy field data from every room was noted at regular intervals . The surface temperatures ranged between 23°C (toilet) and 28°C (in kitchen with the oven on). The ambient temperatures were between 24°C and 26°C (in the bathroom). The outside temperature was 23°C ambient on arrival. The weather conditions for the night were fine and warm. The sky was clear. Jessie – It was a very muggy night, slightly windy but not enough to cool us off until near the end of the investigation. It was very warm in the house and it did not change throughout our investigation. The overall temperature and “feel” of the home didn’t seem to alter in any way throughout the entire night. No fluctuations of any kind were recorded during the session. EMF (Electromagnetic Field) levels were flat throughout the entire house. Internal wiring was clean and tidy. No leakages or rough or loose cables or wires detected. Under the house was used for storage. A solid block foundation. Tidy with no odd temperature or EMF fluctuations. No untidy, frayed or damaged wiring to be noted. No rat droppings noted. We again trialled our “Spirit Box” (an electronic device purported to aid spirits in communicating).  Nothing worthy of noting was recorded. Home layout The house was on an angled section so walking up to the house from the road we were level to the downstairs garage. To get up to the main entrance to the house we walked under the deck and up two short flights of stairs to the sliding door which enters into the lounge. If one continues on around the deck there is a small door into the dining area near the kitchen. From the main sliding door entrance there is the lounge which was not overly large. To the far right of the lounge is the dining area and straight in front of the sliding door but on the far side of the lounge behind a wall is the kitchen which has an entrance from the dining area. On the far left of the lounge is a door to the hallway. On walking down the hallway the first door to the left has the eldest daughter’s bedroom which is small, fitting a double bed and not much else. Opposite this door on the hallway is the laundry. This room also has an exit to the back yard. The next two doors on the left continuing down the hallway have the toilet and bathroom in that order. The last door on the left is the master bedroom which is the largest bedroom in the house. The door at the end of the hallway is the smallest bedroom and was the room of one of the younger daughters, or potentially both daughters as there were bunks in there. The back yard which can be accessed from the door in the laundry or from the main entrance from the lounge is small and reasonably flat. They have pet rabbits in a wooden hutch in the back yard. The garage under the house is not internal access and is used as storage. There was a good sized deck outside the lounge and the nearest neighbours were a reasonable distance away. Initial feelings Barbara – The house felt like a family home. Initially it had a calm happy feel about it, but later in the bedrooms it felt as though there was someone watching us. The feeling came and went as if something was there one minute and gone the next. I thought it was particularly strong in the end bedroom. Jessie– I didn’t feel anything upon entering the house. It just felt “normal”. It just felt very quiet. Like it may have had something there before but I wasn’t feeling anything with us that night. Although there were interesting stories about all three bedrooms we found the end and master bedrooms to be the most interesting, as these were the rooms with the most reported activity. We spent quite a lot of time in them attempting communications sessions. Barbara – I did think that while I was in the lounge someone had touched my back. At times (later in the evening) I had a sense of something being in the two end bedrooms. I felt slightly uncomfortable at times in the two end bedrooms.  There was a sense of something being there but I’m not sure what. I wondered if there is a “spirit portal” in the house, as I had a sense of energy being there one minute and then it was gone. I get the feeling that the end bedroom is the centre of whatever is happening in the house. During one of the many communication attempts throughout the night, Jessie thought she could hear a little girl speak, so her and Barbara attempted a “chat” session, encouraging her to come and sit with them and talk. Upon reviewing the recorded audio, nothing unusual could be heard. No “little girl” was captured at the time. Mark, whilst spending time outside the house, later confirmed that he had heard the girl too – a nearby neighbour playing. Barbara feels she may have captured a man speaking while she was noting temperature levels and had her audio recorder running. Barbara – I seem to have captured 2 possible EVPs of a male. One saying “Help” and the other saying “Farking Hell!”   A murmuring sound can also be heard just before the “help”. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/137653921″ params=”color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] At the end of the investigation, Barbara performed a clearing of the home in an attempt to eliminate all negative energies in the home. Conclusions Possible Sleep disorder? The story of the floating bubbles with “played scenes” inside them sounded very similar to a case out in Conifer Grove we looked into a year ago. It was concluded that this was due to a sleep disorder. This case seemed to have the same symptoms ie the “bubbles” or small floating dreamlets of imagery etc. Many of the signs pointed to Hypnagogia. The experience of the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep: the hypnagogic state of consciousness. Mental phenomena that occur during this “threshold consciousness” phase include lucid dreaming, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. There are many phenomena that can occur on the threshold of sleep, or the transitional stage between wakefulness and sleep. Hypnagogia can range from incessant noises and vague geometrical patterns including a loud ringing sensation in the ears and voices, to fully fledged scenes called “dreamlets”. The difference between this imagery and dreams is that they are rather static and seem to lack a basic storyline. Many famous thinkers and artists have benefited from the great creativity offered through these separate realities and enjoyed passively observing their dreams forming right in front of their eyes. It is suggested that if this activity continues and is causing ongoing discomfort, the help of a sleep clinic might be the solution. This loose conclusion may or may not be correct, but it seemed a fitting answer at the time and matched what we have experienced in past cases. This might also explain the daughter waking up to find a “crowd of men” in her room, that the mother came in and was unable to see. Perhaps the daughter was in a mid sleep process at the time? The family seemed perfectly healthy and fit, with only a small light depression claim among them (mother and daughter). This did not appear to attribute to anything they were experiencing at this point due to the medication being so light. Barbara – I didn’t see any evidence of any form of haunting while we were there.  Most people who live in the house have experienced some type of activity so this may indicate that there is some sort of haunting but we were unable to document it during our visit and so am unable to classify it.   Jessie – There were lots of little noises heard but given that the house was in the middle of suburbia we could not right off the noises as coming from neighbouring houses. There was also a noisy little Hedgehog that paid a visit and apparently he does this often. There were lots of stories about things that the girls had experienced in their bedroom just as they are falling asleep such as the eldest daughter waking up to men crowding her room and her mum not being able to see them. The youngest daughter having a hand waved in her face and clicking its fingers. The fact that a lot of these happened as the girls were falling asleep cannot be discounted. As this is a rental property there is not a lot of information around previous tenants. However the current occupants believe that some of the previous tenants may have been using the house to manufacture “P” (Methamphetamine) as the windows appear to have had something taped across them to block out all the light. As an ex volunteer ambulance officer I had attended training on how to identify a meth lab for our own safety so I decided to ask the family about the state of the house when they moved in. Upon speaking with the current occupants however they did not notice burnt patches of grass or any noticeable chemical spills anywhere in the house when they moved in. Any other signs of an active meth lab would not have made it past the bond clean when the suspected tenants moved out. If I was to take a guess, the taped over windows could have been more likely contributed to a weed growing exercise or a person who just liked to spend time in a dark room. I believe the investigation went rather well. There was not a lot of activity but we were able to try to test a few of their claims and really gave it a good go. While it was a very quiet investigation we were able to talk through some of the stuff that has happened with the tenants. Help them figure out how to deal with the stuff that is happening. We also did a cleansing which i think would help them feel a lot more secure in the house. My overall feelings on the property are that it could quite possibly have something going on due to all the strange occurrences happening but that these occurrences shouldn’t be attributed to the paranormal each time and that at the time it is happening they should be thinking more about what else could be causing this to happen and not jump to labelling it as paranormal.   Mark – I felt that we did all we could at the time to find answers, but nothing seemed out-of-place during our time there. After listening to the stories of experienced activity, I found I didn’t really have too many answers at the end of the session. At this point in time I’m leaning towards Hypnagogia, a sleep disorder to possibly explain some of the night-time visual experiences the daughter has been having. Note: This is just a theory based on our limited time with the family and our gathered knowledge from past experiences with other clients. More time should bring out more accurate answers. The home itself felt safe and light to me. I personally didn’t feel, see, hear or document anything which would lead me to believe that this home is haunted. I would suggest that the family please log any future activity down for future reference. They are welcome to contact us any time and the team welcomes any further questions or re-visit requests from them. Debunking On review of the photographic evidence, an odd face was discovered, apparently reflected in a picture frame stored in the lounge.   An analysis was performed using other photographs taken in the same room during the evening.  By overlaying two photographs, it was shown that what appeared to be an unusual, staring face was actually Pareidolia caused by the alignment shadows on the a braid and face of the girl in the portrait, giving an unusual appearance when viewed from a specific angle and framing. The series of three images shown on the right illustrate how the effect was generated. The first image was recorded with a higher resolution camera, the third shows the image of the unusual face overlayed and aligned. The middle image is a transitional phase between the top and bottom images showing how the alignment occurred. [...] Read more...
Investigation: Cardrona Hotel – South Island. {Interview with the Hotel Manager}
Investigation: Cardrona Hotel – South Island. {Interview with the Hotel Manager}26/04/2021Haunted Locations / Historic Buildings / Hotels and Businesses / InvestigationsIn April 2021, Haunted Auckland Researcher Mark Wallbank headed down to the lower South Island to spend a night investigating the Cardrona Hotel, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most iconic hotels. Situated on the spectacular Crown Range Road, between Queenstown and Wanaka. The Cardrona Hotel is also allegedly the home of a few spectral residents. A woman, a young girl and ‘’Jimmy’’ James Patterson, a former owner. This is an interview with the Hotel Manager, featuring assorted photos and footage showing the hotel on all its glory. Enjoy!   [...] Read more...
Lake House Art Centre session
Lake House Art Centre session05/08/2022Haunted Locations / Historic Buildings / Investigations / Lake House Arts Centre / Paranormal New ZealandOut investigating again this weekend. Keeping busy and staying active as usual, on this chilly Friday night. We returned to one of our fav’ local haunts for some further experiments and another five or so hours sitting in the dark talking to the air (and each other, of course). The beautiful and historic Lake House Art Centre in Takapuna, has been welcoming and generous to us in many ways. There’s always a friendly ”someone” there to greet us when we visit and we look forward to spending time there when we can. Natasha stayed on after we left around half twelve, to spend the rest of the morning going it solo. It was her turn to take the challenge and we think she took it rather well. Past and present Haunted Auckland team members that have spent nights alone doing this manner of research will agree, that it’s not always easy to do when the building is making sounds all around you that really make you feel you aren’t completely alone! Here’s our usual selection of random investigation session photos (and a few spooky team selfies), taken by us through the night. Enjoy! [...] Read more...
Haunted Auckland investigation: Rangiriri Hotel – Waikato [Overnight session REPORT]
Haunted Auckland investigation: Rangiriri Hotel – Waikato [Overnight session REPORT]26/06/2022Haunted Locations / Hotels and Businesses / Investigations / Paranormal New ZealandLocation: Rangiriri Hotel, 8 Rangiriri Road. Date: Sunday 26 th June 2022 History of the Location: Research indicates that there were two Hotels in Rangariri that were established around 1866. The ‘Travellers Rest Hotel’ was built by August 1866 but burned down in January 1877 after being unoccupied for some years. The ‘Royal Mail Hotel’ (also known as ‘Sherley’s hotel after its proprietor and later the Rangiriri Hotel) also experienced a similar fate, burning down in 1883. It was rebuilt in 1884. An 1883 town survey plan at the time of the Rangiriri fire, reveals that the area consisted of only seven houses, a store, the hotel and the cemetery. Of those planned streets, only 4 remain today. It is rumoured to have again partially burned down in 1905 and was rebuilt, in its current layout. It also suffered flooding from the Waikato river in 1907 and 1926. It is now a category two Historic Places Trust building. The location is very close to the site of some of the fiercest fighting during the Waikato Land wars in 1863. Rangiriri was hard won by the British, with the action costing the lives of more government forces than any other during the New Zealand wars (130). Maaori were similarly impacted by the death of 41 Maaori including 6 chiefs. Across the road lies the Maaori war and Early Settler’s cemetery. Further up the road is the Te Wheoro’s redoubt, the location of the British military stores and garrison from 1863. The hotel’s location between Auckland and Hamilton meant it was a stopping point for travellers, where coach horses would be fed/watered and stabled at the rear of the property (now a neighbouring paddock). The two bars were required because in the early 1900s, the ‘house bar’ catered to women who were not allowed in the male-only ‘main bar’ area. Previously reported activity: A staff member reported to Aimee and Natasha that she had seen a full bodied apparition of a woman. Another reported that she saw a shadow pass behind her when she was completing admin, during a period of covid lockdown – no one else was in the building. A chef (not Chris) who lived on site for many years would not share his experiences with us directly but admits that the location is definitely haunted. He was overheard telling another staff member that he saw a dark mist on the stairs one day. Female staff member experienced several items falling off shelf near front door…whilst others remained on the shelf in their normal positions. Female staff member reported glasses falling from the bar Kelvin Cruickshank (celebrity psychic) reported seeing the spirit of the original proprietor’s wife during his visit. One truck driver refused to stay in one of the rooms because his lights and alarm kept going on/off. Several reported stories from unnamed sources about a tall woman in a white dress in their rooms at night who is known to lock doors, move furniture and play with the lights. Team members for this investigation: Mark Wallbank Barbara Armstrong Natasha Kristofferson-Tuck Aimee Peterken First impressions from the team when entering the building: The building is your typical old kiwi tavern, with dark wood panelling, cosy wallpaper and booths in the restaurant area. You get a real sense that this is a very special and meaningful place for locals, with lots of motorbikes parked outside for a casual drink in the beer garden and families eating the large portions in the restaurant. The staff were welcoming and most seemed interested in our visit. They were happy to share stories they had heard. The food was excellent! Note: Mark rates the banoffee pie as the best he has ever had, and Aimee continues to return for the seafood chowder! Description of the building: The two storey hotel has 10 bedrooms (5 doubles), a restaurant, a commercial grade ‘open to customers view’ style kitchen, a rear split, levelled ‘beer garden’ type area and 2 traditional bar areas. The bathrooms upstairs have been modernised to a very high level. The building has been restored over the years, modernising the interior whilst maximising original features such as the wooden flooring and high ceilings. The upstairs area was in the midst of renovation at the time of our visit. Points of note in relation to possible contributors to activity reported by the Haunted Auckland team: Carpets were pulled up in the hallways which caused significant creaking and noise when moving around the upstairs area. Floors were very uneven in many bedrooms and the hallway. Possible infrasound impacts due to proximity to motorway – rumble of trucks and cars could be heard on recordings and by our own ears. Rooms which stood out: Mark felt that the one room which stood out to him was the small lounge/breakfast room off the kitchen. He reports “Not sure why, it just felt odd. Like I wasn’t alone, or there was someone watching…to the point I looked around the room in a somewhat semi-paranoid manner looking for a possible hidden spy camera in the ceiling fire alarm!”. He also said that he didn’t feel anything in the other rooms during the visit, but the hallway felt “interesting” to him – stating that “perhaps it was just the titled angle of the flooring which had something to do with it”. What we did: We set up night-vision cameras at either end of the hallway which ran the whole time we were actively investigating. We had stationary camera in room 4 during the sensory experiment. We had a hand held camera in room 6 and one on a tripod in the breakfast lounge during an ”Estes” method communication session. We left trigger objects in the hallway (Mr Smilie ball, marbles and a teddy bear with proximity sensor) and in room 10m (marbles). We set up a voice recorder in the hallway We placed EDI Plus Meters in the hallway and moved them around rooms as the communication sessions progressed. These measure temperature change, EMF levels, barometric pressure and vibration. We had several other proximity sensors and Rempods spread across the hallway Natasha tried a sensory deprivation session in Room 4 using the Mindplace – Limina set-up, which allows us to experiment with forms of sensory enhancement via various levels of gamma frequencies and light filters What we experienced: Unknown door creak: A door was heard creaking open around 10.30pm by Mark. At the time Aimee and Barbara were in the 2 bathrooms at the opposite end of the hallway and Natasha was stood behind Mark in the kitchen. The noise was caught on the camera – all doors except the washing room door were on camera at the time and did not open. Wall switch turned off: Room 4 – Natasha plugged an extension cord into a socket in her room. This powered her camera in the hallway. It was working well at 9pm when Aimee checked it. At 10.30pm, after the door creak incident, the camera was checked for footage – only to discover that it was turned off and the battery was flat. Upon further investigation, the socket had been turned off at the wall switch. Natasha had been in the room for the past 90 minutes undertaking a sensory deprivation experience (on camera) and no one entered the room to touch the switch. The camera was in Aimee’s camera shot the entire time and was not touched by any of the team. Shadow movement: Mark and Barbara were toying with a phone application called ‘The Portal’ during a communication session. They used the ”Estes” method, whereby they were in different rooms and could not hear each other. Aimee stood in the doorway of the kitchen, listening to both of them. She noted a shadow move from the hallway into Room 7. His curtains were open at the time so she watched traffic pass by again to try to recreate the movement but was unsuccessful. The shadow was not caught on camera as Aimee’s camera pointed up the hallway (the opposite way) and Natasha’s camera was off at the switch by this point. Moving key: Aimee removed from her pocket upon sitting on the floor of the hallway during a communication session. Aimee moved away from the pile for a few minutes and when she returned the key for room 6 was at the bottom of the pile. We are unsure how it got there. Barbara remembers it being in her room whilst undertaking the Estes communication session. So… do we think it’s haunted? The story of a lady in a white dress, often linked to an early proprietor is quite common. The story of the lady at ‘The Rango’ is very reminiscent of the lady ‘Kate’ who reportedly haunts The Kentish Pub in Waiuku which we visited a few months previously. She too checks in on the staff to make sure they are doing things properly and makes herself known if she feels things are sub-par. In this instance, the lady at the Rango appears to be very friendly and keen to help in all her interactions with patrons. To make a stronger determination about its haunted status, we would need to return to explore a few further areas including: The potential socket being turned off at the wall – we would need to video this socket and repeat the task. Trying to recreate any door creaks which were heard (possibly from the laundry). Measurement of low vibration (infrasound) at various locations across the hotel Trying to capture any shadows moving into Room 7 using more cameras stationed closer and on correct angles It’s a big call to make without having something substantial to back up such a statement. We all slept extremely well in our rooms that evening with nothing of note caught on our cameras as we slept (yes, we do record our own snoring!). The team feel that there is definitely something to the repeated stories. It is unclear at this point whether this would be an intelligent or residual haunting. There have been quite a few stories of apparitions and repeated actions (such as the lights and doors being messed with) over the years which shouldn’t be dismissed; and could possibly suggest an ”intelligent haunting”) We are keen to return for a follow-up session or two to further look into the intriguing reports surrounding this wonderful location. [...] 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 twice-yearly newsletters, subscribed to his popular mid-2000s online blog BizarreNZ, followed the H.A 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
  • Lumley Castle – County Durham

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 – Kaneana Cave (Makua Cave)

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