Hair Raiser Tours

19/05/2026

Dunedin has no shortage of haunted houses—and even a few haunted flats with stories that still linger.
Back in 1991, the Otago Daily Times ran a very unusual flatmate advert: a “vegetarian haunted house.” It drew two replies… none of them asking about the ghost.
The current flatmates admitted they weren’t too bothered about sharing the space, despite ongoing encounters. After some digging, they even formed a theory that the presence might be a former builder—given the constant banging, thumping, and heavy footsteps throughout the house.
Over the years, reports from occupants have included beds being stripped and the bedding moved across the room, doors opening and slamming on their own, and sudden 20-minute bursts of stamping, dragging, and heavy movement. One former resident even claimed they were pushed against a wall by an unseen force, leaving a red welt on their arm.
As for the “appearance,” one description painted the ghost as distinctly unattractive, with a clearly visible torso.
And despite all of it… the flatmates reportedly had no plans to call in any ghostbusters. In fact, they seemed quietly proud of their very lively housemate.

06/05/2026

Winter is whispering — and those crisp, cold nights are perfect for a walk through the darker side of the city.
Gather a group of friends and experience New Zealand’s original ghost tour.

29/04/2026

For nearly three decades, Hair Raiser Tours has uncovered Dunedin’s hidden history, ghost lore, true crime, cemeteries, and forgotten stories.

Now, for the first time, I’m opening the door to the research, discoveries, and behind-the-scenes stories that don’t always make it onto the tour route.

Join the new Patreon page for exclusive content, historical finds, quirky stories, photographs, and a deeper look into the darker side of Dunedin’s past.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of Hair Raiser Tours, this is your chance to explore further.

🔗 Join here: https://www.patreon.com/c/hairraisertours/posts

Patreon is empowering a new generation of creators. Support and engage with artists and creators as they live out their passions!

28/04/2026

A haunting and deeply poignant place to reflect on Anzac Day — the Upper Junction War Memorial.
Each year, we pause here to remember the sacrifice made by local soldiers during the Great War. In 1919, seventeen memorial trees were planted to honour the men from the district who never returned home.
A peace beech tree was first planted in 1919, with an additional tree added following the Second World War in 1945. Over time, the memorial grounds became overgrown, but in recent years local residents and the RSA have carefully restored this important site.
The memorial stands on the grounds of the former Upper Junction School, which operated from 1893 to 1946. A historic photograph from 1924 captures the school as it once stood before it was destroyed by fire on 23 July 1945. Following the closure, students transferred to North East Valley School. Before Upper Junction School, the Mount Cargill School served the district from 1870 until 1938.
This quiet corner of history carries a powerful legacy. Per head of population, this district lost more men to the Great War than any other area in New Zealand.
If you find yourself travelling through the Junction, take a moment to visit this remarkable and moving place of remembrance.

30/03/2026

As the season draws to a close, we move into our winter timetable — the perfect time of year to experience Dunedin after dark.
As New Zealand’s original ghost tour experience, we invite you beyond the lamplight… into the alleyways, cemeteries, and forgotten corners of the city.
Have you ever passed an alleyway and wondered what lies at the bottom — but never dared to enter?
If you’ve ever wanted to step into the dark… you’ve come to the right place.
Walk the hidden lanes.
Stand in a cemetery at dusk as the shadows stretch across the paths.
Enter Dunedin’s old gaol after dark, where prisoners were once locked away.
Victorian residents were deeply wary of alleyways — and with good reason.
One figure in particular haunted the imagination: Spring-Heeled Jack. Cloaked in darkness, he was said to move with unnatural speed, casting off his coat as he closed in on his victims. Some claimed he carried a knife. Others spoke of fainting and screams left in his wake.
These were not just stories — they were warnings, passed down through generations.
So feared was Jack that vigilante groups took to the streets to hunt him. Eventually, his appearances ceased. But how did he move so quickly? Many believed he wore springs in his shoes, allowing him to leap fences, appear without warning, and vanish just as suddenly.
Reports of Spring-Heeled Jack lingered into the early 1900s — with sightings said to have occurred as late as 1904 in Dunedin’s North East Valley.
Some stories fade.
Others are still waiting… in the dark.

20/03/2026

From the archives — 2005, The Golden Ghost.
Many of our stories are drawn from family connections to the Otago goldfields spanning the 1860s through to the late 1930s. These stories come from original family accounts, passed down over generations — lived experiences that continue to echo through time.
Over the years, these accounts have found their way into both our ghost tours and our crime tours — keeping the voices and mysteries of the goldfields alive.
For special events, The Golden Ghost returns… sharing even more from this fascinating and often haunting part of New Zealand’s history.

18/03/2026

Remembering the Wairarapa Disaster – 29 October 1894
On 29 October 1894, the ship Wairarapa was tragically wrecked on Great Barrier Island, with over 134 lives lost – one of New Zealand’s deadliest maritime disasters.
Amid the chaos, stories of bravery shone through. Passengers recalled women sliding into the sea, horses and cargo striking those in the water, and crew members risking everything to save lives.
Three stewardesses from Dunedin—Miss Annie McQuaid, Miss Lizzie Crinrod, and Miss Charlotte McDonald—stood out for their courage. Miss McQuaid was posthumously awarded a Medal for Bravery. She famously distributed life belts to passengers, saving as many as she could before being swept away herself while protecting a terrified little girl.
A haunting monument within the gates of the Northern Cemetery honors their bravery. Tragically, none of the stewardesses were ever found, but their courage remains an enduring legacy of selflessness and heroism.

15/03/2026

Ever heard of a cricket “coffin”?
Recently, the Ghost took a Hair Raiser Tour of a difference to Wellington. During this tour, we witnessed a piece of cricket history with a dark side. Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, cricket teams needed a way to transport all their bulky gear — bats, pads, gloves, boots, and more. Enter the coffin bag: a large, rigid rectangular kit bag that looked… well, exactly like a coffin!
Heavy and often carried by two people, these bags were a staple on trains and tours, keeping a team’s equipment safe. Today, we have wheeled and soft kit bags — but the name “coffin” lives on in cricket slang.

10/03/2026

This Friday the 13th, join us at Dunedin’s Gothic Northern Cemetery as we uncover the stories of 13 of the unluckiest souls.

Along the way, we’ll explore the strange Victorian superstitions surrounding the supernatural, the hidden meanings behind the botanical plantings of historic burial grounds, and pay a visit to my mentor, whose unlucky story still lingers in the shadows.

But beware… one guest will be chosen to complete a hair-raising task that few have managed to complete.

Unlucky for some…

Join New Zealand’s original historical & haunted tours for a night where history, superstition, and the supernatural meet.

01/03/2026

Ever noticed those haunting Victorian prison photographs where prisoners are standing with their hands raised, staring straight into the camera — and wondered why?
In the mid to late 1800s, police were beginning to use photography as a serious tool for criminal identification. Before this, records relied on written descriptions: height, build, scars, or “general appearance” — often vague and unreliable.
As prisons became more organised, authorities needed something more precise. Prisoners were photographed in carefully controlled poses, often with hands raised to clearly show tattoos, scars, injuries, and physical build. Nothing was accidental. These images were designed to strip away disguise and ambiguity and record the body as evidence.
This approach was influenced by early forensic thinking and systems like anthropometry, where criminals were measured and catalogued in obsessive detail. The Victorians believed that crime could be classified, recorded, and ultimately controlled — if only enough information was gathered.
These stark images are the ancestors of the modern mugshot, and they reveal a chilling truth: long before fingerprints and DNA, the human body itself became the record.
Explore this shadowy world by night on Curly Jack’s Underbelly Crime Walk, where the stories of crime, punishment, and forgotten lives are revealed in the very streets where they unfolded.

17/02/2026

The sexton’s cottage at Dunedin's Northern Cemetery was completed in 1872 as part of the cemetery’s initial establishment, coinciding with its official opening. The sexton had a wide range of duties — keeping burial registers, preparing graves, and assisting families with interments. One unusual task involved checking older graves: wooden coffins often collapsed over time, so the sexton would push an iron rod into the ground. If it sank easily, the coffin below had decayed, and a new burial could be placed above. If the rod met resistance, the grave was left alone.
By 1935, records show the cottage was in poor condition, with demolition even suggested. Yet decades later, in the 1990s, it became home to students — a curious chapter in its long history.
In 1972, when asked about reports of grave tampering, the sexton reportedly said it was “nothing new” — hinting that something mysterious had occurred during the 1960s…
Join the Six Feet Down Under Cemetery Walk to uncover the full story… if you dare.