May 14th, 2019

GET SPOOKED IN SYDNEY

History buffs and paranormal enthusiasts, if you aren’t scared of a few ghosts, spirits and mysteries then book yourself in to one of Sydney’s famous ghost tours.  Ghost tours are a great way to learn about Sydney’s dark history and a chance to visit important historical sites where ghost tours are full of stories, adventures, and some spooky encounters.
 
Here are a couple of our favourite ghost tours in Sydney that will have you keeping the light on at night.
 
Q Station
 
Reputed to be one of Australia’s most haunted sites, Q Station on Manly’s North Head has been operating ghost tours since the early 1990’s and have number of tours available depending on your scare level. From the 1830’s right up to 1984, migrants and crew arriving by ship to Sydney with suspected contagious disease were forced into quarantine at Q Station. Their ghost tours will take you through the historic buildings, burial grounds and empty pathways where stories of ghosts and paranormal occurrences have entwined throughout its history.
 
For those wanting to go beyond the typical history and ghost lore tour, make sure to sign up for their Extreme Ghost Tour. Psychics and mediums will guide you through the tour while undertaking experiments to encourage paranormal activity.
 
If that still isn’t enough supernatural activity for you, then head along to their Spirit Investigator tour. On this tour you get to try out the latest ghost hunting equipment and carry out experiments yourself to communicate with the spirits.
 
Finally for those who really like an adventure Q Station also offers a ‘Spirit Searching Sleepover’. When you’ve finished the Spirit Investigator Tour (and you’ve conjured up the station’s spirits), you’ll then be lead to your room for the night… that’s right you’ll be sleeping over with your new spirit friends.
 
Q Station also takes group bookings for all of their ghost tours, so you can also drag along all of your supernatural loving friends. 
  
Cockatoo Island
 
Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour was once an island prison known for housing re-offending convicts. After closing the prison, Cockatoo Island was transformed into a working shipyard for more than a century and is now full of stories of untimely deaths and paranormal sightings. Tours will guide you through the convict workshops and gaol, coffin like prison cells, the grain silos, Dog Leg Tunnel and Biloela House. Visitors have reported feeling gusts of air, smells of tobacco, and even sites of ghostly figures.
 
St Bartholomews Church
 
When you think of a haunted place a church and cemetery is sure to come to mind. Dating back to 1841, St Bartholomews Church and Cemetery is home to the stories and graves of many early settlers including explorer William Lawson. The tour guides visitors through the Churches’ long history and recounts the stories of the many lives that are now buried within the cemetery. If you are lucky you may even encounter their famous troublesome ghost, with many tour participants claiming to have experience extreme nausea and being unable to move when approaching his tombstone.
 
 The Rocks
 
An iconic part of Sydney’s history, The Rocks was home to convicts from as early as 1788, which means there are loads of stories of crimes, murders and mysteries.  Offering two tours which cover different routes and stories, you’ll visit Cadman’s Cottage, Australia’s oldest home, Susannah Place where someone was found buried in the cellar, and Observatory Hill where the old Signal Master’s spirit is set to reside.  The tour will also take you to many ‘off limit’ locations and see you walking through dark alleyways only lit by lanterns. This is one of those tours that is sure to send goose bumps up your back.
 
So, whether you’re a Sydney local wanting to explore your own city a little bit, or a visitor who isn’t afraid of a few ghosts, make sure to check out the after dark side of Sydney.