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Sombre Aussie site tops global list of most unusual abandoned places

<p>Each year, thousands of people travel to famous abandoned buildings and hotspots to explore what were once important landmarks. </p> <p>Some deserted sites are more popular than others, as these ten sites received tens of thousands of visitors each year. </p> <p><strong>Buzludzha, Bulgaria</strong></p> <p>The Buzludzha Monument in central Bulgaria has been dubbed the tenth most famous abandoned place in the world, each year welcoming over 18,000 people. </p> <p>The site was constructed in 1981 and used by the Bulgarian communist government, and was in use until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.</p> <p><strong>Ohio State Reformatory, USA</strong></p> <p>After first opening in 1898, the goal of the Ohio State Reformatory was to truly "reform" and rehabilitate its inmates.</p> <p>The facility was closed in 1990, and each year attracts more than 21,000 visitors.</p> <p><strong>Gereja Ayam, Indonesia</strong></p> <p>The uniquely shaped house of prayer in Central Java continues to be a popular tourist attraction in Indonesia, welcoming more than 50,000 travellers each year. </p> <p>Construction on the church was never completed after work was halted in 2000.</p> <p><strong>Lago di Resia Bell Tower, Italy</strong></p> <p>The 14-century sunken bell tower can be found near the border of Switzerland, emerging from the water from a sunken village where travellers claim they can hear bells tolling, even though there are no bells in the tower. </p> <p>The lonely (and probably haunted) tower receives more than 54,000 tourists each year. </p> <p><strong>Canfranc, Spain</strong></p> <p>The abandoned railway station is located in the Spanish municipality of Canfranc, close to the French border and once was a major hub for cross-border railway traffic.</p> <p>It first opened in 1928, but closed its doors by 1970 before it was reimagined as a hotel.  </p> <p><strong>Beelitz Military Hospital, Germany</strong></p> <p>The large hospital complex was first built in 1898 as a sanatorium, but was transformed into a hospital at the beginning of WWI and has been abandoned since 1990. </p> <p>It's understood Hitler was treated here after being wounded in the Battle of Somme, which could be the reason more than 64,000 travellers flock there each year. </p> <p><strong>Eastern State Penitentiary, USA</strong></p> <p>The prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is described as one of the country's most historic prisons and has housed some famous prisoners such as Al Capone.</p> <p>The prison was closed in 1971 and is tagged on social media by more than 79,000 every year. </p> <p><strong>Croix-Rouge, Paris</strong></p> <p>Also known as the Red Cross, this Paris train station has been abandoned since 1939 after France entered WWII.</p> <p>The station was only functional for 16 years, and welcomes more than 95,000 curious travellers each year. </p> <p><strong>Teufelsberg, Germany</strong></p> <p>Teufelsberg was one of the largest listening towers in the world during the Cold war.</p> <p>The site was closed in 1972, but still receives around 128,000 every year. </p> <p><strong>Port Arthur, Australia</strong></p> <p>More than a quarter of a million visitors travel to Port Arthur in Tasmania each year.</p> <p>The site itself was first opened as a timber station in 1830 and is known as a symbol of the country's convict past.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

International Travel

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Haunting last pictures of Charlise Mutten revealed

<p>The haunting last photos of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten have been released just hours after her step-father was found guilty of her murder. </p> <p>On Wednesday, Justin Stein was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/jury-decides-fate-of-accused-murderer-justin-stein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty</a> for the murder of Charlise, who was killed in January 2022 while visiting her mother and step-father for Christmas. </p> <p>The jury reached their conclusion of Stein's guilt in just shy of two weeks following the four week trial, finding that Stein had killed Charlise at a Mount Wilson property owned by his parents before he wrapped her body and dumped it in a barrel down near the Colo River.</p> <p>Following the guilty verdict, a series of photos were released by the court, which document some of the final days of Charlise's life. </p> <p>In the photos, Charlise can be seen holding a pair of dolls and smiling for the camera as her mother, Kallista, snapped the image of her daughter. </p> <p>Kallista then sent the photo to her mother and Charlise's grandmother Deborah on Christmas morning 2021. </p> <p>“Thanks for the present and Merry Christmas from us all,” Kallista said to Deborah via Facebook.“Thanks for the present and Merry Christmas from us all,” Kallista said to Deborah via Facebook.</p> <p>Deborah and her husband Clinton were Charlise's main guardians, as Charlise had been living with them on the Gold Coast.</p> <p>Charlise can also be seen in a picture on January 8th, just days before she was killed, swimming in a pool, and on January 10th, she was photographed by her mother poking a face next to a broken window.</p> <p>The photo was sent to Stein by Kallista along with a message saying, “I’m sorry I’m such a screw up can we still get married”.</p> <p>Just two days later on January 12th, Charlise was killed. </p> <p>Stein will face a sentence hearing in August, where he faced life in prison for murder. </p> <p><em>Image credits: NSW Police / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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"Each bauble represents a life lost": Haunting Christmas tree sends powerful message

<p>As the holiday season approaches, a haunting symbol of despair has once again taken root at Victoria Police headquarters – carrying with it a message of melancholy that we are unaccustomed to at this normally festive time of year.</p> <p>Instead of joyous ornaments and twinkling lights, a Christmas tree adorned with glistening blue baubles now stands as a remarkably poignant testament to the road death carnage that has befallen the state throughout 2023.</p> <p>These beautiful baubles, each etched with the name and age of those lost on Victoria's roads this year, tell a grim tale of grief and loss. With the toll reaching 274 by December 6, it marks the darkest year for the state since 2008.</p> <p>In a moving video accompanying the dressing of the tree, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir implored the public to drive cautiously during the Christmas period, desperately hoping to prevent the addition of any more baubles to this sorrowful tree.</p> <p>"This Christmas tree is unlike any other; it's one we don't want to see decorated," Commissioner Weir soberly explained. "Each bauble represents a life lost, a stark reminder of the importance of road safety. Please, drive safely this festive period. Take care, have conversations with your loved ones, and remember the responsibility you bear when behind the wheel."</p> <p>November alone witnessed the loss of 35 lives on Victorian roads, marking it as the worst month this year. In response, the police are intensifying road policing operations throughout December in an attempt to curb further tragedies.</p> <p>In a bid to address the escalating death toll, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has launched the initiative "Stop kidding yourself. If you drink, don't drive," running from December 4 to the end of January.</p> <p>Shockingly, it has also been revealed that one in five individuals killed on Victorian roads had a blood alcohol concentration of .05 or higher.</p> <p>TAC CEO Tracey Slatter also called on the urgent need for a cultural shift, challenging the notion that driving after consuming any amount of alcohol should be deemed "normal".</p> <p>"Many people think they can manage their blood-alcohol level with vague rules handed down through generations," she said. "But the only way to avoid the risk entirely is to completely separate drinking and driving."</p> <p>As the Christmas tree of remembrance continues to grow with each passing day, it stands as a poignant symbol of the lives lost on Victoria's roads, imploring society to reflect, change and prioritise the safety of every journey.</p> <p><em>Images: Victoria Police</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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10 amazing abandoned sites around the world

<p>For every perfectly-manicured tourist attraction around the world, there are scores more that haven’t been touched in years, yet still draw thousands of curious thrill-seekers who aren’t afraid of a bit of dust (and maybe a few ghosts!). Take a look at these incredible abandoned places that are definitely worth a visit – but only if you’re game.</p> <ol start="1"> <li><strong>Chateau Miranda, Belgium</strong> – an imposing castle built in 1866 but abandoned in 1991 after becoming too expensive to maintain.</li> <li><strong>Kolmanskop, Namibia</strong> – a German settlement established in the early 20th century to mine for diamonds, but which has been a ghost town since the ‘50s.</li> <li><strong>Teufelsberg, Germany</strong> – the “Devil’s Mountain” is a manmade hill in Berlin created out of rubble from WWII and home to a former US National Security Agency (NSA) listening station.</li> <li><strong>House-Monument of the Bulgaria Communist Party, Bulgaria</strong> – it looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi film, but in its heyday, this structure was the meeting place of communist leaders.</li> <li><strong>Garnet Ghost Town, USA</strong> – this remote town in Montana was built to house those rushing to the state during the gold rush, but these days, the mines are empty and so are the houses.</li> <li><strong>Ross Island, India</strong> – this British Administrative Centre was abandoned after a serious earthquake in 1941. It now lies in overgrown yet beautiful ruins.</li> <li><strong>Wonderland Amusement Park, China</strong> – construction on Beijing’s answer to Disneyland stopped after land disputes, so all that’s left is the surreal shell to a Disney-esque castle.</li> <li><strong>SS Ayrfield, Australia</strong> – right in the middle of Homebush Bay lies this floating relic of the past, covered in beautiful greenery.</li> <li><strong>Villa Epecuén, Argentina</strong> – from the 1920s to 1985, this Buenos Aires village was a popular tourist destination, after a flood forced both residents and visitors out for good.</li> <li><strong>Gouqi Island, China</strong> – on the banks of the Yangtze River lies this beautiful forgotten fishing village, filled with ivy-covered homes reminiscent of old European towns.</li> </ol> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

International Travel

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Top 10 spooky stays for those Halloween weekend road trips

<p>It's the spookiest time of year, and there are plenty of ghoulish places to discover around Australia. To help you plan your next spooky road trip, Toyota Australia has compiled a frightful list of ten top stays for a Halloween-themed road trip like no other.</p> <p><strong>1. <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.montecristo.com.au/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZb_k4JCv$" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monte Cristo Homestead</a>, Junee NSW</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/monte-cristo-homestead2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></strong></p> <p><em>Images: Monte Cristo Homestead (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Dubbed “Australia’s most haunted homestead”, Monte Cristo – only two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Canberra – is said to be haunted by at least ten ghosts, most significantly its original owners Christopher and Elizabeth Crawley. Christopher still haunts the room in which he passed, as kind a spirit as he was in life – Elizabeth, however, is not so nice; if she doesn’t like you, she’ll cause a chill across your skin to scare you off. Don’t believe us? For the thrill seekers and sceptics out there, Monte Cristo offers accommodation for you to sleep – or stare at the ceiling wide awake in terror all night.</p> <p><strong>2. </strong> <a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.georgeiv.com.au/accommodation/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZYG9SB7T$"><strong>George IV Inn</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Picton NSW</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/george-iv-inn.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Images: George IV Inn (Facebook)</em></p> <p><span style="text-align: center;">If you’re game, how about a night or two at the century-old George IV hotel in Picton? The eerily stripped-back interior couldn’t be more fitting for accommodation located in what is considered Australia’s most haunted town. Picton in NSW – an hour’s drive from Sydney – is host to a variety of ghostly locations. If you dare, venture down to the Redbank Range Railway tunnel, where it is claimed the spirit of Emily Bollard, who was killed by a train in 1916 – stay on the lookout for a pale, faceless figure of a woman. That’s not all - according to residents, the cries of babies can be heard from Picton’s now-defunct Old Maternity Hospital, three ghosts haunt the Wollondilly Shire Hall, and the jukebox has been known to start playing while unplugged at the Imperial Hotel.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="text-align: center;">3. </span></strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.qstation.com.au/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZemwu4JL$"><strong>Quarantine Station</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Manly NSW</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/quarantine-station.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Images: Quarantine Station Ghost Tours (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Q Station in Manly – only half an hour’s drive from the Sydney CBD – is a stunning venue with accommodation ranging from guest lounges, suites, and cottages, and multiple on-site harborside fine dining restaurants and bars. Yet, the station also has a dark history as a quarantine station for the unwell, first operating over 150 years ago and only closing in 1984, where it has since been the site of almost 600 deaths. As a result, the place is allegedly riddled with ghosts – that’s why Q Station also offers a range of ghost tours around the property, including through the onsite cemetery and morgue.</p> <p><strong>4. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.jenolancaves.org.au/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZac_sEC_$"><strong>Caves House Hotel</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Blue Mountains NSW</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/caves-house-hotel.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Image: Caves House Hotel (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Described on its website as a “romantic and relaxing place to stay overnight”, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise if you knew the haunted history of the Jenolan Caves. From disembodied screams and unexplained shoulder taps within the caves to sightings of ghostly arms and the sounds of playing children deep into the night in Caves House, the official website has been sure to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.jenolancaves.org.au/about/blog/spinechilling-stories-from-the-underworld/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZVr10l2I$">document</a> any stories and sightings of spirits and spectres of those brave enough to stay the night in their stunning – but spooky – Blue Mountains lodgings, a three hour’s drive from Sydney.</p> <p><strong>5. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.booking.com/hotel/au/castlemaine-gardens-luxury-safari-tents.en-gb.html?aid=356980&amp;label=gog235jc-1DCAsoD0InY2FzdGxlbWFpbmUtZ2FyZGVucy1sdXh1cnktc2FmYXJpLXRlbnRzSDNYA2gPiAEBmAEJuAEXyAEM2AED6AEBiAIBqAIDuALvvsqZBsACAdICJGM1YWMzNWExLWNmOWMtNDMwZS04MDg5LWUwZjM3ZjIyMzQ4ONgCBOACAQ&amp;sid=7840f168f5ccfb8a42fa50883655b5f2&amp;dist=0&amp;group_adults=2&amp;group_children=0&amp;keep_landing=1&amp;no_rooms=1&amp;sb_price_type=total&amp;type=total&amp;__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZaDDH6o3$"><strong>Castlemaine Gardens Luxury Safari Tents</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Castlemaine VIC</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/castlemaine-gardens.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Image: </em><em>BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Glamp in style at the Castlemaine Gardens Luxury Safari Tents, a semi-open-air accommodation tucked away in beautiful gardens in outer north-west Victoria – only an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne. With an exposed wood interior and white tulle mosquito nets draped over the four-poster beds, the tents are reminiscent of the gold rush era. To further your historical-themed getaway, you could perhaps consider a trip to Old Castlemaine Gaol – a colonial-era prison famed for housing some of the time’s most violent criminals, many of whom are said to still haunt the hallways. If you’re too scared to go back to your tent, how about sticking it out for one of their infamous 12-hour overnight ghost tours?</p> <p><strong>6. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/craigsroyal.com.au/accommodation/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZb3Qyc0y$"><strong>Craig’s Royal Hotel,</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;"> Ballarat VIC</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/craigs-royal-hotel.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Images: Craig's Royal Hotel (Facebook)</em></p> <p>You know it’s worth the drive if the whole city has a dedicated website to ghost tours in the area. That’s the case with Ballarat’s <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.eerietours.com.au/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZW8NcLBZ$">Eerie Tours</a>, which offers a variety of historic ghost tours across both Ballarat, including its Old Cemetery and the Town Hall, and the nearby infamous Aradale Lunatic Asylum in Ararat – known as one of the most hostile haunted locations in Australia. After a night of frights (or two), it’s only fitting to retire in somewhere as grand as the heritage-listed, Victorian-designed Craig’s Royal Hotel – only an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne.</p> <p><strong>7. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.spencersuitesalbany.com.au/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZZpDd-oj$"><strong>Spencer Suites</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Albany WA</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/spencer-suites.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Image: Spencer Suites (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Far down south in WA – five hours away from Perth if you drive – is the former colonial settlement of Albany, a seaside town rich with tales of ghost stories. From the ruins of a lighthouse said to be haunted by its keeper, a former hospital with doors closing on its own, a 150-year-old quarantine station and an old gaol, Albany offers so many spooky experiences you’ll just have to spend a couple nights – how about checking out Spencer Suites, where “heritage meets chic”? The refreshing modernity of the self-contained apartments would be a welcome change from the haunted colonial-era ruins.</p> <p><strong>8. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.babindaquarters.com/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZS_cs8AM$"><strong>Babinda Quarters</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Babinda QLD</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/barbinda-quarters.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Image: Babinda Quarters (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Most of the locations on this list so far have been colonial man-made institutions housing spirits of those who passed within their four walls, yet, a short drive from the beautiful tropical town of Babinda are the Babinda Boulders – a stunning and tranquil swimming and picnic area with a particularly treacherous stretch of the creek aptly named Devil’s Pool. According to local Indigenous legend, a young widow named Oolana came to the pool to grieve her husband, ultimately drowning herself to overcome her sorrows. It is said she still haunts the pool, with unexplained tides and sudden rushing torrents. Morbidly curious travellers beware: this creek has claimed many lives, something expressed on a sign as you approach it; most of them young men a similar age to the Oolana’s husband. If staying in Babinda to explore the rainforest (both haunted and not), Babinda Quarters, a recently refurbished art deco homestead offers stunning and quirky accommodation with a rainforest twist less than an hour’s drive from Cairns.</p> <p><strong>9. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.fothergills.net.au/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZXtl3Uxs$"><strong>Fothergills of Fremantle,</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;"> WA</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/fothergills-fremantle.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Image: Fothergills of Fremantle (Facebook)</em></p> <p>Just half an hour’s drive from the heart of Perth CBD, Forthergills of Fremantle is a stunning 19th century heritage listed building, with rooms filled featuring local craftwork and fitted with on-theme colonial furniture – lit quite eerily in their official photos. Fittingly, Fremantle is home to one of the most infamous haunted locations in WA – the Fremantle Arts Centre. The former lunatic asylum is claimed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the state, with reports of faces being seen in windows, strange bouts of cold air, and doors opening and closing on their own.</p> <p><strong>10. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.thestationkapunda.com/__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZZZ0jA3h$"><strong>The Station</strong></a><strong style="text-align: center;">, Kapunda SA</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/station-kapunda.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p><em>Images: The Station Kapunda (Facebook)</em></p> <p>While the most haunted hotel in Australia might not be available for bookings, we thought it’d be more advisable to stay in a nicer, considerably less-ghostly accommodation such as The Station at Kapunda, a stunning and modern escape in a 162-year-old renovated railway station, only an hour by car from Adelaide. That way you can escape from The North Kapunda Hotel should the spirits cause you too much distress. Kapunda is also known as an extremely haunted town, with tours across the town available for any thrill seekers out there.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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“No it’s not haunted”: Property listing tackles local myths

<p dir="ltr">Old homes are often believed to be haunted, and the listing for a historic NSW home has taken this into account to reassure superstitious buyers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The advertising for the five-bedroom property in Smithtown, on the Macleay River, takes the time to debunk local rumours that it’s haunted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The land was first selected in 1868, the building came in 1902 and has since served as a home, a General Store, Cash Emporium, Fish and Chip shop, Boarding House and some think a haunted house because it was all boarded up for years – but no, it’s not haunted it’s amazing, oh to sit on those big wrap-around verandahs for dinner and drinks would be amazing,” <a href="https://www.kellyflanaganrealestate.com.au/listings/residential_sale-3360870-smithtown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the listing reads</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This majestic, big, hardwood building could become once again a glistening jewel.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing also claims that if you don’t know the building, located “round the bend for the pub”, you’re not a local, describing it as one of the icons of the Lower Macleay Valley.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite its age, the home seems to be in great shape thanks to work done to renew the structure 20 years ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The magic big building just needs the make-up and fit-out however you want it to look like – or don’t do much and love it like the previous owner has done for 30 or so past years,” the listing suggests.</p> <p dir="ltr">The two-storey home also boasts several verandahs from which you can enjoy stunning river views, as well as flexible zoning options that allow it to be transformed into more than a home.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a listed price between $550-$600,000 and the assurance it’s ghoul-free, this is a home that’s sure to become someone’s favourite haunt.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbb939f0-7fff-6937-95ef-7ab060ec40a8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Kelly Flanagan Real Estate</em></p>

Real Estate

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Why this massive mansion is selling for peanuts

<p>A dilapidated 11-bedroom mansion in Upstate New York has been likened to the 'Amityville Horror House' and sitting on the market for years. The home recently had a price cut to $US 495,000 ($660,000) for those brave enough to live in it.</p> <p>Abandoned for 70 years, the home is eerily secluded on almost seven acres of land on Carleton Island, close to the Canadian border, with water views from three sides.</p> <p>Despite the attractive, cheaper price tag, the property will likely need a million dollars' worth of work to transform it to its glory days. While there is a stone foundation, the wood frame upper floors have "deterioration" and there are no bathrooms.</p> <p>But even if a buyer with deep pockets is out there, there's the creep-factor to contend with, something Reddit is quick to point out with users branding the home a "demon mansion", "haunted" and "super creepy".</p> <p>The mansion was built by architect William Miller in 1894 as a summer vacation home for businessman William O. Wyckoff.</p> <p>Wyckoff had made his millions helping the Remington Arms Company develop their version of the newly invented typewriter, according to House &amp; History.</p> <p>Unfortunately, it was never the dream home Wyckoff hoped it would be and in 1895, after spending just one night in the home, he tragically suffered a heart attack and died at the property. This was just a few months after Wyckoff's wife also reportedly died of a heart attack.</p> <p>The home was then passed down to their son, who used the estate until about 1927.</p> <p>The Great Depression hit soon after and the family lost much of their fortune. They sold the villa to General Electric, who took ownership in the 1930s with hopes to use the property as a company retreat but those plans were also abandoned thanks to the first World War.</p> <p>According to the listing, contractors were then allowed to go in and remove materials such as doors and windows, essentially looting the property. The marble cladding from the tower base was also taken.</p> <p>The home was left to the elements, which leads us to its state today.</p> <p><em>Image: Domain</em></p>

Real Estate

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Shane Warne's haunting final steps captured on CCTV

<p>Haunting final images of Shane Warne moments before he died of a heart attack show the cricketing legend appearing happy and relaxed as he strolled through his luxurious Thailand villa.</p> <p>Warne’s final steps walking through the lobby of the Samujana Villa on the island of Koh Samui were captured on CCTV, as he carried new shirts from his favourite local tailor.</p> <p>A short video captured Warne dressed casually in black shorts, a white T-shirt and a cap with several new shirts draped over his arm.</p> <p>He seemed relaxed as he returned to the villa about 1:30pm, where he was staying with his business manager Andrew Neophitou and three friends.</p> <p>It is believed Warne had ventured out and spent almost an hour at the Briony Tailor where he was fitted for new suits. Just hours later at 5:15pm, the sports legend was found face down and unresponsive on his bed following a heart attack.</p> <p>Warne’s family have revealed he had been suffering with heart troubles and asthma in the weeks leading up to his death, and had also completed a 14-day liquid only diet.</p> <p>Thai police confirmed the 52-year-old’s body will be flown home from Thailand on Thursday morning as it was revealed his public memorial will be held on the 30th of March.</p> <p>The 52-year-old’s body was transferred to Bangkok where it underwent an autopsy and is currently being held at Bangkok Police Station’s mortuary.</p> <p>He will now be flown by private jet from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok at 8 am local time, and will arrive in Australia by Thursday evening.</p> <p>Warne’s state funeral will take place on the 30th of March, after a private family service is expected to be held towards the end of next week.</p> <p><em>Image: CCTV</em></p>

News

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Queen's "World War III" speech strikes a haunting note

<p dir="ltr">Though it’s almost 40 years old, Queen Elizabeth II’s pre-prepared speech in the event of World War III is feeling quite pertinent lately.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sombre message, first penned in 1983 at the height of the Cold War and publicly released in 2013, is a script for a hypothetical broadcast the monarch would read if British citizens faced a threat of nuclear war or World War III.</p> <p dir="ltr">Devised by Whitehall officials, the speech was created as part of a war-gaming exercise that worked through potential scenarios and was written as if broadcast on Friday, March 4 at midday - almost 39 years ago to the day.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth,” the script begins, as shared by the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-23518587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Now, this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Queen also recalls the moment World War II broke out and her own experience of sadness and pride upon hearing her father make the announcement.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father’s [George VI’s] inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939,” it reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all, the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Unsurprisingly, the address <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-elizabeth-secret-speech-in-case-of-world-war-iii/eb18bc06-e53c-4fa8-baab-549476b59370" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contains</a> some outdated aspects, including a mention of her “beloved” son Andrew - who was in the Royal Navy at the time - and references to her now-late husband Prince Philip.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also spoke of the power of the bond families share and how it “must be our greatest defence against the unknown”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country’s will to survive cannot be broken.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The war-gaming exercise it was devised for has become increasingly relevant as well, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues amid the threat of nuclear strikes from Moscow and ongoing peace talks between the two countries.</p> <p dir="ltr">In it, Orange bloc forces representing the Soviet Union and its allies launched a chemical weapon attack on the UK.</p> <p dir="ltr">NATO, represented by Blue forces, retaliates with a “limited-yield” nuclear strike that forces Orange to initiate a peace process.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-74b0ef2d-7fff-7430-7c16-31b0387424ac"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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12 of the world’s most haunted bodies of water

<p><strong>Devil's Pool, Australia</strong></p> <p><span>Devil’s Pool is a natural pool created by surrounding boulders and a waterfall that feeds it, and as beautiful as it is, people say it’s cursed. </span></p> <p><span>According to legend, Oolana, a young woman from the Yindinji Tribe, drowned herself in the pool after being separated from her true love. Still searching for him today, she lures young men to their death in the green waters. </span></p> <p><span>Sixteen young men have died there in the past 50 years, reports News.com.au.</span></p> <p><strong>Manchac Swamp, USA</strong></p> <p><span>According to local legend, Julia Brown, a practising voodoo priestess, used to sit on her front porch near the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana and sing, “One day I’m gonna die, and I’m gonna take all of you with me,” reports MentalFloss.com. </span></p> <p><span>That curse turned out to be true: On the day of Brown’s funeral in 1915, a category 4 hurricane tore through the area, causing hundreds of drowning deaths. </span></p> <p><span>These days, people say that Brown can be heard cackling on the shores of the swamp. Spooky, right?</span></p> <p><strong>Truk Lagoon, Micronesia</strong></p> <p><span>If it’s shipwrecks that make your spine tingle, then look no further than Truk Lagoon in Micronesia. </span></p> <p><span>That’s where the wreckage of 40 Japanese ships and 25 American aircrafts that went down in the waters lay. </span></p> <p><span>They went down during Operation Hailstone, the ill-fated WWII battle. The underwater scene is described as a massive “ship graveyard.” </span></p> <p><span>Photos of the wreckage are absolutely chilling and a haunting reminder of all the lives that were lost in that one battle, alone.</span></p> <p><strong>Lower Yellowstone Falls, USA</strong></p> <p><span>In 1870, a group of Native Americans stole pack horses from a group of five militiamen and their guide during the night near the area that’s now known as Lower Yellowstone Falls in Wyoming. </span></p> <p><span>When they woke up, the men gave chase and caught up with the Native Americans as they were attempting to cross the treacherous falls. </span></p> <p><span>During the fighting, the Native Americans’ makeshift raft sank and they were swept over the falls and drowned. </span></p> <p><span>Today, some who stand on the platform at the falls swear they hear the death chant of the brave Native American warriors and the river water is said to turn red on occasion.</span></p> <p><strong>Bride's Pool, Hong Kong</strong></p> <p><span>The Bride’s Pool, a natural pool created by boulders with an adjoining waterfall in Hong Kong, is said to have gotten its name because a bride fell into the water and drowned on the way to her wedding. </span></p> <p><span>If that’s not chilling enough, “today, some people report seeing a woman dressed in a red cheongsam [a traditional Asian wedding dress] brushing her hair near the majestic waters,” reports Time Out Hong Kong.</span></p> <p><strong>Saco River, USA</strong></p> <p><span>Sure the Saco River in Maine is a great place for holiday-makers to go tubing, but you may not want to after you find out about its rumoured curse. </span></p> <p><span>As the legend goes, around 1675, a group of drunken English sailors crossed paths with the chief of the Saco tribe and his family. </span></p> <p><span>The sailors callously threw the baby in the river to see if he could swim; sadly, the baby died a few days later. </span></p> <p><span>To enact revenge, the chief put a curse on the Saco River that three white people would drown in it each year. </span></p> <p><span>Whether or not the body count has held up, the murder of the child actually happened and likely led to further bloodshed in the years following.</span></p> <p><strong>Loch Ness, Scotland</strong></p> <p><span>There are some who believe with all their heart that a lake near Inverness in Scotland is haunted by a mythical being, aka the Loch Ness Monster. </span></p> <p><span>“There are over 300,000 visitors each year and only one to two bona fide sightings,” Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club tells the Travel Channel. </span></p> <p><span>But those odds continue to inspire visitors who always carry their cameras just in case “Nessie” decides to make an appearance.</span></p> <p><span><strong>White Rock Lake, USA</strong><br /></span></p> <p><span>They say Dallas’s White Rock Lake is haunted by a young woman wearing a soaking-wet evening dress. </span></p> <p><span>“Apparently, the girl tells people she was involved in a boating accident and needs to get to an address on Gaston Avenue. When she gets into a car’s back seat, she disappears,” the Dallas News reports. </span></p> <p><span>These encounters have been reported off and on since 1964, although no one knows who the woman is or whether a woman in an evening dress actually drowned there.</span></p> <p><strong>Changi Beach, Singapore</strong></p> <p><span>During Japan’s occupation of Singapore during World War II in 1942 tens of thousands of Chinese men who were suspected of having anti-Japanese sentiments, were forced into the waters of Changi Beach and machine-gunned en masse. </span></p> <p><span>It’s said that the ghosts of these executed men remain trapped on the shores, crying and screaming as they suffer the same deadly fate over and over again.</span></p> <p><strong>Blackwater River, USA</strong></p> <p><span>Like the Saco River, Blackwater River in Florida is also a popular tubing spot with a dark past. </span></p> <p><span>A woman with long black hair smelling of rotting flesh haunts the water and will attempt to drag you to your death if you can’t escape her clutches. </span></p> <p><span>No matter what is causing people to drown in the river, it would be wise to be careful when taking a dip.</span></p> <p><strong>Lake Superior, USA</strong></p> <p><span>In 1985, more than a decade after the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sunk 150 metres to the bottom of Lake Superior – all 29 men on board were lost – it was spotted sailing on the surface of Lake Superior by a commercial crew. </span></p> <p><span>There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation involving mist and a lighthouse, according to CNN, but there are those who believe that the Edmund Fitzgerald will continue to sail on as a ghost ship in the choppy, icy waters of the lake that took it.</span></p> <p><strong>The Bermuda Triangle </strong></p> <p><span>No discussion of haunted water would be complete without including the Atlantic Ocean’s Bermuda Triangle (bounded by Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico). </span></p> <p><span>Countless aeroplanes and ships have dared to enter the 1,300,000-square-km perimeter in perfectly good weather and not the slightest hint of engine malfunction – only to disappear forever. </span></p> <p><span>Not for nothing, it’s also known as the “Devil’s Triangle.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/destinations/12-of-the-worlds-most-haunted-bodies-of-water?pages=1">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Prince Charles haunted by past as The Crown blasts affair

<p><span>The Prince of Wales is not the most popular royal member, and season four of <em>The Crown</em> has only plummeted his approval rating even further.</span><br /><br /><span>While popular with only 47 per cent of Briton, Prince William and Her Majesty sits at 73 per cent.</span><br /><br /><span>The duchess of Cornwall is liked by only 34 per cent of the population.</span><br /><br /><span>Charles has the Netflix series, <em>The Crown</em>, to thank for that – a program watched by more viewers than William's 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton.</span></p> <p><img id="__mcenew" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839171/queen-prince-william-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fcad4d5d3e0648fb920577da9920d79d" /><br /><span>The current season portrays him as emotionally abusive toward his now-deceased ex-wife, Princess Diana.</span><br /><br /><span>The wave of backlash against the 72-year-old heir has been so intense that the pair have disabled comments on their official Clarence House Instagram account.</span><br /><br /><span>There have also been demands for the royal to stand down as the next King of England.</span><br /><br /><span>"Charles experienced extreme hate when his affair with Camilla was outed, and when Diana was killed – but it was never as bad as this," a source for Woman’s Day said.</span><br /><br /><span>"The public is reliving those moments now – though obviously in a dramatised way – only this time everyone has a social media account through which to spout their vitriol.</span><br /><br /><span>“Clarence House is scrambling to contain it, but not many of his PR flunkies truly believe his reputation can recover from this."</span><br /><br /><span>There are rumours that The Queen may give in to demands to have Prince Charles step down.</span><br /><br /><span>"For the Queen, the monarchy comes above all else – even her own son," says an insider.</span><br /><br /><span>"At the rate things are going with everyone turning on Charles, Prince Andrew in hot water for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Harry leaving the family, she feels she can really only trust leaving her empire in Prince William's hands.</span><br /><br /><span>“He and Catherine have proved themselves to be a steady ship time and time again."</span><br /><br /><span>"At 94, the Queen should be enjoying her twilight years. Instead, the spectre of her son's failed marriage is back to bite them all.</span><br /><br /><span>"It's going to be huge if one of her final acts is to cast Charles and Camilla aside and declare that <em>the crown</em> will go to William."</span></p>

Relationships

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Haunting photos of teen sent to family in “virtual kidnapping” scam

<p>Investigations are continuing after a teenage student was in a “virtual kidnapping” scam in Sydney, which resulted in more than $213,000 being transferred for their child’s safe return.</p> <p>NSW Police received reports of a missing 18-year-old Chinese woman on September 8 after friends became concerned for her welfare.</p> <p>Photos and videos of the woman were sent to family using the Chinese messaging service WeChat.</p> <p>Large sums of money were demanded by a person that was pretending to be Chinese police who were promising her safe release.</p> <p>Following further investigations from NSW Police, Chinese authorities and the AFP, the woman was found safe and unharmed in the inner-city suburb of Pyrmont on September 15.</p> <p>Police have since raided a Chatswood unit, while a 22-year-old male has spoken with officers. Investigations continue.</p> <p>In one photo, a pair of bare legs can be seen.  Police were trying to determine if that person is a victim themselves or involved in the scam.</p> <p>NSW Police Force state crime command director Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said police were urging the community to remain vigilant to such elaborate phone scams.</p> <p>“Less than two months ago, the NSW Police Force issued a warning to the community about ‘virtual kidnapping’ scams targeting Chinese students studying in Australia,” Det Chief Supt Bennett said.</p> <p>“It appears these scammers are continuing to operate and are once again preying on the vulnerabilities of individuals in the community who are not in direct physical contact with their families.”</p> <p>Det Chief Supt Bennett said that this incident began in July when a woman received an email from someone who was posing as Chinese police.</p> <p>They told her that her personal details had been illegally used on a package intercepted overseas.</p> <p>“The individuals behind these ‘virtual kidnapping’ scams continually adapt their scripts and methodology which are designed to take advantage of people’s trust in authorities,” he said.</p> <p>Police are reminding Chinese nationals that authorities in China would never contact students demanding money.</p> <p>They have urged that if anyone experiences such behaviour to report to the Chinese Consulate in Sydney and police.</p>

Legal

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​“For our people only”: Words come back to haunt QLD premier after baby dies

<p><span>A mother from NSW is mourning the loss of her unborn baby after she was refused entry to Queensland hospitals to receive an emergency surgery.</span><br /><br /><span>The grave loss comes just one week after the QLD premier announced the state’s medical services were for “our people only.”</span><br /><br /><span>The mother lived just 30km from the Queensland border in Ballina.</span><br /><br /><span>She was forced to fly to Sydney to receive crucial treatment for her unborn twins after she was denied an emergency exception to seek treatment in Brisbane.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister says the case is “very distressing” and has called for compassion on the borders.</span><br /><br /><span>Allan Watt, the father of the woman, told The Courier Mail that his daughter had to wait 16 hours before she could get a care flight to Sydney.</span><br /><br /><span>She then had to wait another “six or seven” hours before the emergency surgery.</span><br /><br /><span>“They found out yesterday and went for a scan and the baby was deceased,” Mr Watt said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I’m not blaming the Health System in Queensland, the same thing could’ve happened if they could’ve gone to the Brisbane Hospital with what’s happened to them now, but the fact is it could have made a difference.”</span><br /><br /><span>The upsetting news follows more than a week after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was criticised for saying Queensland hospitals were “for our people only” after a question about the NSW woman being refused entry to Brisbane.</span><br /><br /><span>“People living in NSW, they have NSW hospitals. In Queensland we have Queensland hospitals for our people,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard called Ms Palaszczuk’s comments “astonishing”.</span><br /><br /><span>He urged her to review her border arrangements to “ensure patients receive the health care they need”.</span><br /><br /><span>This morning, Ms Palaszczuk said the death of a baby was a tragedy.</span><br /><br /><span>However she denied that Queensland was blocking urgent interstate medical cases to be treated in the state’s hospitals.</span><br /><br /><span>“I think we’re very very compassionate in this state and … if there is someone that needs emergency care, if they need a helicopter to fly them to one of our hospitals, that will happen,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“If they need an ambulance to come and the clinicians decide the best place and the fastest place they go, they will not be stopped from going.”</span><br /><br /><span>The premier says she doesn't regret her comment that Queensland hospitals were for Queenslanders.</span><br /><br /><span>“These are really difficult decisions,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>She said patients should be treated in hospitals local to them.</span><br /><br /><span>She went on to say that patients would be treated in Queensland if it was an absolute emergency or if Queensland had the required expertise.</span><br /><br /><span>“But we are living through a global pandemic at the moment,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>Ms Palaszczuk said she did not want to talk about a specific case and decisions were made by clinicians.</span><br /><br /><span>“This is an absolute tragedy, about this young baby,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I mean there’s a woman who’s grieving at the moment and many people know what that feels like.</span><br /><br /><span>“So if the clinicians make that urgent decision about where a young person needs to go, that will be made in the best interests of that young person.”</span><br /><br /><span>Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said Queensland provides emergency services to northern NSW and “that has never changed”.</span><br /><br /><span>“Police do not stop ambulances, they do not stop Life Flight helicopters,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I believe that I am a compassionate person.”</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Morrison said the events are “terribly distressing” and has urged for their to be flexibility and compassion on the borders.</span><br /><br /><span>“This is terribly distressing. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“And there needs to be an explanation as to how these, these hard border arrangements, can lead to people not getting access to this care as it seems to be the case here.</span><br /><br /><span>“I don’t know all the facts here and it’s important that they’re all known and I don’t want to get ahead of that process. But as I’ll be making a comment here today, I understand why there can be recommendations about having border restrictions under a COVID pandemic.</span><br /><br /><span>“But at the same time, they would need to be an extraordinary explanation in relation to how someone wouldn’t be able to get medical treatment in these circumstances. So there does need to be an explanation here.</span><br /><br /><span>“And again, these restrictions need to be put in place with compassion, with common sense and understanding all the risks, not just the COVID risks that present.”</span></p>

News

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Cate Blanchett adds haunted English manor to real estate portfolio

<p>After letting go of all of her Sydney properties, Cate Blanchett has added a sprawling English manor to her real estate property.</p> <p>The Australia actress, along with her playwright-director husband Andrew Upton, purchased the Highwell House in the UK for $6.25 million.</p> <p>However, the home comes with its own dark history and sordid past and is revealed to have been a famous haunted house that also was a drug den, a meeting place for pagans and a notorious hide-out for criminals on the run.</p> <p>The Victorian manor was built on the estate in 1890 and began to fall into disrepair in the early 2000s before it was refurbished in 2015.</p> <p>While the home today carries an airy, luxurious yet subtle charm, the property was labelled as Britain’s 13th most creepy abandoned house in 2015.</p> <p>A Facebook page dedicated to Highwell Estate, which was previously named Potters Manor House, is said to feature pictures from people who visited the home and claimed to have captured images of ghosts or spirits.</p> <p>Reports say local residents are overjoyed to have Cate, Andrew, and their four children moving into the home as they believe it has made the home safer.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the sprawling property in all its Victorian-style glory.</p>

Real Estate

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The haunting images of emptied tourist sites amid coronavirus

<p>As more countries established restrictive measures to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, renowned tourist attractions and historical sites across the world have been deserted.</p> <p>The world’s largest art museum, The Louvre closed its doors on March 15.</p> <p>New York City’s Times Square has now become mostly devoid of people as Broadway shows were suspended and entertainment venues, movie theaters and gyms were closed.</p> <p>The Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy was closed on March 10 as the government banned public gatherings across the country.</p> <p>South Korea’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, which normally welcomes thousands of people each day, have seen a large drop in visitors amid the global health crisis.</p> <p>Stockholm Royal Palace, the official residence of the King of Sweden, announced its indefinite closure starting March 21.</p> <p>Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre has asked visitors to maintain a distance of at least two metres from each other as the number of confirmed cases in the country continues to climb.</p> <p>Pariser Platz at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany stood quiet with only a few passersby coming through as the government introduced a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51999080">ban on public gatherings of more than two people</a>.</p>

International Travel

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This is spook-tacular! Haunted Halloween house in Queensland bound to give you chills

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Gold Coast family has turned their suburban house into a Stephen King-inspired mansion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The homeowners, known to locals by pseudonyms Mr and Mrs Strapleberry, are once again opening the doors to their house of horror in Pacific Pines, just in time for Halloween.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ‘Neibolt Well House’ was inspired by the abandoned home where IT lived and featured boarded-up windows, broken shutters, overgrown grass and vinces, and rusty metal fences as well as a life-size figure of Georgie from King’s story.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The couple first held the extravaganza last year, allowing children and adults to celebrate the festivities and try mazes with special effects and scares.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He spoke to </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7603803/Family-transforms-humble-property-incredible-horror-house-just-time-Halloween.html?fbclid=IwAR31j101Mj6zt6LXu3iNCnoT-JvjurCxXz4tdOdtpPu4MoAfRFOHf_jofWQ"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Mail Australia</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about how the creepy Halloween house all started.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We put out a smoke machine and some cheap spider webs a few years ago and noticed how many families and children were out trick-or-treating,” he explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was wonderful to see excited kids out having fun, so we decided we could do more.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the success of last year’s attempt, this year’s idea ended up snowballing quickly into “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/Panic-on-Pandora-260293314625500/posts/?ref=page_internal">Panic on Pandora</a>”.</span></p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F260293314625500%2Fvideos%2F505896146632451%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We didn’t know if anybody would show, but ended up with more than 600 happy families and haunters,” said Mr Strapleberry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are firm believers to the idea that you should be the change you want to see in the world,” the father-of-one explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Seeing the streets filled with children and families enjoying time together.. children genuinely excited, neighbours talking/meeting each other.. it's just an incredible atmosphere of the community coming together.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the Strapleberry family have kept quiet about just how much this all costs, Mr Strappleberry has joked that “it was either a jet-ski for me or a Halloween event for everyone”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The house has continued to bring joy to locals for two years in a row, and with the extensive effort gone into the designs, it’s easy to see why.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery to see the spooky transformation. </span></p>

Domestic Travel

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"I created a Frankenstein's monster": Inventor of most popular dog breed haunted by regret

<p>The labradoodle is one of the most popular dogs around the world - it is no wonder how with their cutesy curls and plaintive eyes. </p> <p>However, the man who first invented the breed in the 1980’s admitted he has some feelings of regret for creating the infamous labradoodle. </p> <p>"I realised what I had done within a matter of days,” Wally Conron told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-09-23/labradoodle-guide-dogs-designer-regret/10717186" target="_blank">abc.net.au.</a></p> <p>As a professional dog breeder, Wally said he mainly worried about breeding healthy, happy pups. </p> <p>However, he believes labradoodle breeders do not share the same concerns. </p> <p>"I realised the reason for these unethical, ruthless people [was] to breed these dogs and sell them for big bucks," Wally says.</p> <p>"I opened a Pandora's box and released a Frankenstein's monster.</p> <p>"When I'm out and I see these labradoodles I can't help myself, I go over them in my mind.</p> <p>"I look at it thinking, does it have hip dysplasia, has it got elbow problems, any other problems I can see?</p> <p>"I find that the biggest majority are either crazy or have a hereditary problem. I do see some damn nice labradoodles but they're few and far between."</p> <p>Mr Conron first crossed a labrador and a poodle in the late eighties after he was asked to breed a non-shedding guide dog. </p> <p>"I bred the labradoodle for a blind lady whose husband was allergic to dog hair," he says.</p> <p>"She wanted to know if we could come up with a dog that she could use as a guide dog and her husband wouldn't be allergic to," he says, speaking to the ABC podcast<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://abclisten.page.link/gro5" target="_blank">Sum Of All Parts.</a></p> <p>He trialled 33 different standard poodles after deciding a “standard” one would “do the job”, he decided they didn’t have the right temperament to be a successful guide dog. </p> <p>After three years of attempts, Wally came up with the idea make a brand new crossbreed or "a dog with the working ability of the Labrador and the coat of the poodle".</p> <p>After breeding three dogs, he shipped one off to the blind woman and her husband who lived with the dog well into his retirement.</p> <p>The other two, he found, were extremely hard to get rid of as “no one wanted a cross breed,”</p> <p>Out of sheer frustration, Mr Conran approached Guide Dogs Victoria’s PR department and asked them to say they’d bred a “special breed.”</p> <p>"I said 'can you get onto the media and tell them that we've bred a special breed? A breed called the labradoodle — it's non-allergenic',”  he said.</p> <p>Quickly Wally found it became a sensation. </p> <p>"I could not visualise the publicity that a crossbred dog would get," Wally says.</p> <p>"Cars would stop and people would get out of the car and say to me, 'excuse me what sort of dog is that?' I'd say 'it's a labradoodle!'"</p> <p>While the gorgeous dogs have captured the attention of many over the last 30 years, the cost of them far outweigh their multi-thousand dollar price tag.</p>

Family & Pets

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Big 5G problem haunting the iPhone 11 launch

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As tech giant Apple unveiled three new iPhone models that promised faster performance, increased battery life and new camera technology, industry experts are warning consumers that the product is missing a key component.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That component is known as 5G.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The next generation mobile network has already been rolled out in Australian capital cities and it’s expected in other parts of the country in the next couple of years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lack of 5G is disappointing, according to Finders money expert Angus Kidman, as there’s a considerable price tag on the new iPhone 11 models.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“People always want their phone to be faster because we’ve rapidly gone from just making calls to watching video,” Mr Kidman told </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/technology/iphone-11-launch-big-5g-problem-plaguing-the-new-apple-phone/news-story/49a0a31684d5833733c24d8e598ff948"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We want high speed connection and I think there’s an expectation that if you’re going to pay $1900 for a phone then you should get premium service from it and, in network terms, that’s not going to be the case.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Past research has shown that Aussies tend to upgrade their phones once their two-year phone contract is up, but research from Finder shows that consumers are now holding onto their devices for more than three years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’d be saying to anyone buying a new phone now make sure you get something that’s 5G capable because it’s going to give you better functionality for longer,” Mr Kidman said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Samsung was probably the first major brand to come out with 5G, there are some LG models out there as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At the moment, very few people have a 5G phone but the expectation is that the next premium device you buy, you’d want 5G built into it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">EFTM tech commentator Trevor Long has said that Apple have avoided 5G for a reason, which is simply that 5G hasn’t matured enough for the tech giant to consider adding it to their phones.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It feels like that would be something Apple would want to avoid. They don’t want a disappointed customer buying a phone with a feature they simply can’t use,” Mr Long told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It needs to mature more; we need to wait another year before 5G is getting a little better and that’s when it would make sense to have a 5G phone.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Photo credits: Picture: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFPSource:AFP</span></em></p>

Technology

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The haunting history of Queen Victoria Building in NSW

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Queen Victoria Building, located in Sydney, is a Heritage-listed building as it is 121-years-old.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The building has experienced a lot of history, which QVB After Dark endeavours to share with you, according to </span><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/nsw-act/sordid-tales-from-the-qvbs-creepy-after-dark-ghost-tours/news-story/f8dfef496a9de9f8167106bedda89ff3"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news.com.au</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This includes stories about a QVB’s “resident ghost” that inhabits the building, which is something that people have claimed to see pacing the floors and circling the central dome.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ghost is rumoured to be a former QVB business owner who died from a violent robbery more than 100 years ago that never left the building.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the murder and real-life story of Mei Quong Tart devastated the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He came to Australia from China as a nine-year-old in 1859. When he was old enough, he started working out at the goldfields and worked as a government interpreter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After making his home in Ashfield, Tart worked in the tea and silk trade in Sydney and opened restaurants across the city.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His most famous venue was the Elite Dining Hall and Tea Rooms in the QVB. As Tart was well-liked within the city, giving his employers fair wages and providing women a safe place during the time of suffrage, this made his murder all the more heartbreaking.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Tart was counting money at the end of the day, he was beaten in the head with an iron bar and robbed. Despite surviving, he would soon pass eleven months after the brutal attack.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those who have seen Tart within the QVB say he’s a “friendly ghost” who often waves at people as they walk by. If you see him, you’re encouraged to wave back.</span></p>

Domestic Travel

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Spooky: Can you spot what’s wrong with this photo of Kate Langbroek?

<p>Kate Langbroek may be living the dream on her family “gap year” in Italy, but a recent snap seems to tell a different story.</p> <p>The Hit Network radio host recently moved into an 800-year-old home in Bologna earlier this year and took to Instagram to share a selfie from one of its ancient rooms.</p> <p>But shortly after, Kate’s followers noticed something unusual in the background … can you spot it?</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzDyScvgS_Y/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzDyScvgS_Y/" target="_blank">People who are following our family’s move to Italy may know of our waiting waiting waiting (Italian style) to move onto our permanent apartment - so when @davoandy and @tashprendergast blew into bologna, we took them on a tour to check on its progress. It’s in an old palazzo... some of it built in the 1300s, and there are three giant mirrors in the lounge, apparently from the 1700s. So much age. I said to Tash “I always think if I turn around really quickly, I’ll be able to see the past in this mirror...” So we were laughing, and decided to take a selfie to see if anything would appear. Look over my head. WTF is that??? Also, I hope if that white apparition is a ghost that it at least pitches in with the renos so we can finally move in.🙏 👻 #wescreamed #withlaughter #sixtakeitaly❤️🇮🇹💚 #possiblyseven #romewasntbuiltinaday</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/katelangbroek/" target="_blank"> Kate Langbroek</a> (@katelangbroek) on Jun 23, 2019 at 9:34am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>It may look like any other selfie, but fans were quick to point out that a ghostly figure photobombed the image, resulting in an eerie background.</p> <p>The spooky spirit wore a white cloak and had black circles for eyes. Alongside it stood a second, shorter creature covered in a black hood.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7828047/kate.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a4b7d217b55f405abd9b775f0493db56" /></p> <p>They were both shown in the dusty mirror behind the pair, gazing directly into the camera.</p> <p>It was only when Kate went back to look at the photo that she noticed she was not alone.</p> <p>“Look over my head … WTF is that???” she wrote in the caption.</p> <p>“OMG is that for freaking real?!” commented one user.</p> <p>Another person said, “There is definitely two [ghosts] … the figure closest to the window looks like a nun with rosary beads around her neck.”</p> <p>One person commented: “I can see a statue of the Holy Mary.”</p>

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