Port Arthur Ghost Tour

Ern was never keen on doing the Port Arthur ghost tour. Ern’s brother, Hayden, had recommended it. He told us how creepy it was, trying hard not to spoil the scary bits. Ern was dubious from the start. Daph, however, had already gone online and booked tickets before the conversation was over.

Daph loves ghost stories. Having had her own experience in the old “Room 15” in the now defunct maternity ward at Gosford Hospital, she was keen for another supernatural encounter. And what better place than one of Australia’s most haunted places, Port Arthur? The historic site is steeped in barbaric convict history and the shocking events of the 1996 massacre.

When the tour guide asked for a “sacrificial lamb” to be the head torchbearer, Daph’s hand shot up so fast, almost dislocating her shoulder, frantically reaching taller, hopping up and down... “Pick me, pick me.” There was no need for her to be so desperate in the race. No one else put their hand up. Ern didn’t look pleased. If Daph is at the front, then so is Ern.

Ern: “If anyone’s hand could have shot up at the speed of light, it was yours!”

Daph: “I thought you’d feel safer at the front than trailing at the back.”

Ern: “Sure. You’re loving this, aren’t you?! Just wait until we’re back on the Spirit of Tasmania and you’re hating every minute of it. I don’t care that you feel sick in the cabin if you can see the ocean. I’m opening those window blinds up the whole way, so you have to look at it.”

Daph: *Giggles like a child.

We crept around the site in near darkness, lit only by Daph’s lantern, exploring the old buildings, and listening to creepy ghost stories of visitors’ past. The tour guide was fabulous, giving us the interesting history of the site with a splash of supernatural thrown in.

There is a strange energy to the place, and we took lots of photos, hoping to catch “the blue lady” or some other apparition. We captured some oddities that we can’t explain. But we didn’t see any ghosts.

Daph’s favourite part was when she was instructed to approach the old parsonage alone, knock on the door three times, enter the spooky old house, and place the lantern in the front window to indicate it was safe for the group to follow. And then Daph had to go alone into the basement (where the surgeon had dissected the convicts after death for “research” purposes) and place the lantern on the slab to light the way for the rest of the group. Super creepy. But alas, no ghosts.

Today we returned to the historical site in daylight to truly explore the old buildings and learn the history. It’s a fabulous place to visit. We hopped on a ferry out to the Isle of the Dead, where over a thousand convicts and free folk were buried. The ferry guide pointed out a house in the distance and told us to be sure to visit this as “it’s the third most haunted house in Australia.”

Daph: “Excuse me. What’s that house called?”

Ferry Guide: “The parsonage.”