by Brittany Pickett
A Southland group of ghost hunters and mediums are on the lookout for the paranormal.
Spooky Southland is a group of 11 people looking to solve all of the ghostly mysteries people need solved.
Team leader Stephanie Blomfield has never been a skeptic, she believed she was born with a sixth sense.
“I’ve always been interested in the paranormal but it’s just grown since my son was born,” she said.
The ex-Auckland resident moved into a newly built home when she had an unexpected visitor – her deceased grandmother strolled up the stairs.
During the labour of her son Victor last year, Blomfield burst into unexpected and uncontrollable tears and it wasn’t the pain of labour.
She later discovered her aunt had died during her labour.
Spooky Southland was formed in August last year.
The non-profit organisation seeks out the supernatural and responds to requests from people wanting their paranormal mysteries solved.
Armed with EMF meters, audio recorders and temperature gauges the group could be compared to a real-life ghostbusters team.
Each investigation follows a basic pattern, Blomfield speaks to the owners of the property, investigates the history of the place and then finally the team heads out to investigate.
Using the EMF reader to detect unexplained electromagnetic fields, cameras to photograph the scene and the temperature gauge to detect fluctuations in temperature.
When there is a spirit present the temperature becomes cold, Blomfield said.
Once a spirit has been detected the mediums take over.
There are a few places in Southland which are hot spots for paranormal readings.
The Flour Mill, on Conon St, Anderson’s Park, Queen’s Park, the old part of the prison and the area where Number One Shoes and Noel Leeming sit, as that was where Minnie Dean was hung, were some of the most haunted places in the south, Blomfield said.
Compared to major cities, Invercargill had few hauntings.
“I’m an Aucklander and Auckland is really haunted.”
The group is well aware most people are skeptics about the paranormal.
Blomfield believed people would rather pretend nothing happened, or put it down to the wind, instead of allowing themselves to believe in the unbelievable.
She was not 100 per cent sure why people denied the existence of spirits.
“They’re probably scared to think of the unknown, the afterlife.”
Despite her interest in hunting down spirits, Blomfield did not believe people should be performing seances or using Ouija boards to conjure spirits.
“You just do not know who you are asking to come in, it could be good, it could be bad.”
If people experience fluxations in temperature, objects moving, strange lights or orbs, or shadows appearing in the corner of their eye they could be experiencing the paranormal, Blomfield said.
To learn more, join the group or get help with a spirit get in contact with Spooky Southland.
Who you gonna call? Spooky Southland.
