On Sunday, the team headed south to the Waikato region to spend the night investigating the historic Rangiriri Hotel, (also known affectionately to locals as “the Rango”), a landmark that has seen its share of unusual occurrences through the years.
The 1866-built tavern is only about an hour’s drive from Auckland city and is recognised as one of the Waikato’s oldest pubs.
It was also registered as a category 2 with the Historic Places Trust in 1985.
The hotel is a stone’s throw from the site of a bloody battle between Maori and Pakeha, as the British forces led by General Cameron began their invasion of the Waikato in 1863.
Many claim to have seen a full-bodied apparition of a tall woman in a white dress in their rooms late at night, who has been known to lock doors, move furniture around and play with the lights.
The woman has been seen in all parts of the hotel, from the kitchen/bar area to the upstairs accommodations level. Glasses have been ”thrown” from the bar top numerous times and items seemingly pushed off shelves.
Staff have also reported being followed by a shadow person, as well as seeing ”dark mists” in the lower level.
As usual, here’s a selection of photos taken by us throughout our time there. Enjoy!