Would you go on a tour to look for ghosts, spirits and hauntings? If this idea fascinates you then read on, for we are about to take a journey into the supernatural…
If you hadn’t guess it, every city has it’s hidden past and secrets. Sydney is no different, and from my last blog post, The Rocks was the earliest settlement to arise when the first settlers from England arrived. Due to it’s long history as a convict settlement, there have been all sorts of horrendous deaths from murders, suicides and accidents. With all these violent deaths, there’s bound to be unhappy spirits lurking around.
I found out about this tour during my previous visit but for lack of time had to skip it. So on my second visit, this was something of a must do for me.
Our Ghost Guide, James, was dressed in a 19th century styled black overcoat and hat, and carrying one of those old black doctor’s bag. It does look creepy, but then I guess that’s the general idea for a ghost tour. It was also a wonder how he managed to squeeze ponchos and flashlights for around 20 of us in that little doctor’s bag. With the Sun setting we started off with a visit to the inside of Cadmans Cottage. This building is normally closed to the public so having exclusive access through this tour was really unique.
From Cadmans Cottage we made our way to the streets of The Rocks. Normally, these streets would be quiet at night, but on the night of our tour, a Christmas market was going on in full swing at The Rocks. Needless to say, the spook factor wasn’t there with all the crowds and merry making going on.
However, the tour moved further away from the main market area of The Rocks, and the streets gave way to silence.
The last stop of the tour was an old ruin of a house buried under a modern apartment block. Now this was really interesting. Who knows what we will find under there.
So I guess everyone will be wondering if I did see or encounter any supernatural happenings during the tour. To be honest, it was hard to feel spooky since there was around 20 of us in the group. According to our Ghost Guide, some people with more clairvoyant sensitivities would feel something, but sometimes all they did see were couples doing the “ahem” in the dark alleys.
Overall, it was a fresh and intimate way to learn about the history of The Rocks. It was more like a walking tour, and if you do encounter anything paranormal, take it as a bonus. Tours can be booked online through their website. And if you are looking to visit another spooky place closer to Singapore, try this castle in Ipoh, Malaysia.
And in case you are wondering how I took those photos in the near darkness, here is the gear I used.
Camera: Canon 5D Mk 3
Lens: Sigma 14mm F1.8 DG HSM Art
Aperture: F1.8
ISO: max 6400
Using a wide angle fast lens with high ISO enabled me to capture most of the scenes at reasonable shutter speeds. Even if the shutter speed was slower, motion blur is minimal due to the wide angle.
Beyond the Little Red Dot 