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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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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$">document</a> any stories and sightings of spirits and spectres of those brave enough to stay the night in their stunning – but spooky – Blue Mountains lodgings, a three hour’s drive from Sydney.</p> <p><strong>5. </strong><a style="text-align: center;" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.booking.com/hotel/au/castlemaine-gardens-luxury-safari-tents.en-gb.html?aid=356980&label=gog235jc-1DCAsoD0InY2FzdGxlbWFpbmUtZ2FyZGVucy1sdXh1cnktc2FmYXJpLXRlbnRzSDNYA2gPiAEBmAEJuAEXyAEM2AED6AEBiAIBqAIDuALvvsqZBsACAdICJGM1YWMzNWExLWNmOWMtNDMwZS04MDg5LWUwZjM3ZjIyMzQ4ONgCBOACAQ&sid=7840f168f5ccfb8a42fa50883655b5f2&dist=0&group_adults=2&group_children=0&keep_landing=1&no_rooms=1&sb_price_type=total&type=total&__;!!IHJ3XrWN4X8!Ngc0COUlXfvAPcWa76VI_T27Ce9juwK-Y7cUZh4HcjW0O7Lv9maA12KJkUIyW9mqjnZreRPe2Jy4IZ1YHy1xZaDDH6o3$"><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-$600,000 ($NZ 627-684,000) 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.co.nz/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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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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The devastating discovery about Madeleine McCann that still haunts Kate

<p>The disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been on the mind of the world since her family's holiday to Portugal in 2007.</p> <p>Madeleine went missing from her a holiday apartment while her parents and their friends were dining close by in the same hotel.</p> <p>In the year that Madeleine would’ve been 15, Netflix has released a documentary called <em>The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann,</em> that is full to the brim with detail about the case.</p> <p>Robbyn Swan, who co-wrote <em>Looking for Madeleine,</em> in 2014 is featured throughout the documentary and mentioned a detail that the family have been unable to get out of their heads since they learned of it.</p> <p>Swan said that it was “the stuff of nightmares” for Kate and Gerry McCann.</p> <p>In Kate’s book about the case, <em>Madeleine: Our Daughter’s Disappearance and the Continuing Search For Her</em>, she reveals a harrowing thought.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/42469/madeleine-mccann.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1307e606358a49c3ac297075d0bd2b72" /></p> <p>As the group’s children would be asleep in the hotel apartments at dinner time, the parents requested that they dined at the same table every night, as this table had the best view of the apartments.</p> <p>It was only once Madeleine disappeared that Kate discovered the person who wrote the booking down noted that the children would be unsupervised in the rooms in the reservation book. This means anyone who worked at the restaurant or any nosy members of the public knew that the children were left alone.</p> <p>Kate wrote in her book:</p> <p>“To my horror, I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and simply to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had added the reason for our request: we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently."</p> <p>A tormented Kate added, “We now bitterly regret it and will do so until the end of our days."</p> <p>According to Swan, this discovery was one of the most upsetting to the McCann family. Intimate knowledge about the clan had been left in the open.</p> <p>Despite the documentary bringing light to a variety of theories, the family will never know whether or not that information was the last piece of the puzzle that led to Madeleine's disappearance.</p> <p>Have you watched the Madeleine McCann documentary series on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.</p>

Legal

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Michael Schumacher’s family release haunting new video of the F1 driver

<p>Michael Schumacher’s family has released never-before-seen footage of the F1 legend as he talked about his successful career, only two months before the tragic accident that would change his life forever.</p> <p>Considered the best F1 driver the world has ever seen, Schumacher spoke about his struggles with self-confidence and who he respects most in the profession in the haunting footage that was posted on his website.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hX7LF20uz3s" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The interview is dated October 30, 2013, only two short months before his skiing accident in the French Alps which occurred on December 29 the same year.</p> <p>Schumacher, who is now 49, said he never imagined his career to skyrocket the way it did, but it was his self-doubt that garnered him his many accolades.</p> <p>“Records is one thing. Doubts … I think it is very important to not be over confident – to be sceptical, to look for improvements,” he said.</p> <p>“Yeah, I always felt I am not good enough, I have to work, and that was one part of the recipe that made me what I became.</p> <p>“Talent in motorsport, as in any sport, is important – but that’s not all. You need really to develop lots of different skills.”</p> <p>He also commended his team, as he said his success wasn’t solely due to him.</p> <p>“Success, as in any situation of life or in most I know, is about teamwork,” he said.</p> <p>“Yourself, you do what you do. As a team, you will be much stronger. Formula 1 is a team work, and definitely not a one-man show.”</p> <p>He also mentioned how despite the challenges F1 drivers face, the sport has become much less demanding throughout his 17-year career due to the advancements in car technology.</p> <p>“Formula One is very tough. It used to be a lot harder – no power brakes, no power steering – in the past compared to nowadays,” he said.</p> <p>“But anyway, it is one of the toughest sports you can do, so a lot of preparation is needed.”</p> <p>The seven-time world champion looked back at his career highlights, and said it was his first win with Ferrari in 2000 that was the most emotional.</p> <p>Schumacher had an impressive run as he consecutively won championships after his first win. Those wins included Benetton in 1994 and 1995, then five back-to-back with the Prancing Horse from 2000-2004.</p> <p>The racing icon had a total of 91 grand prix wins by the end of his career.</p> <p>“Twenty-one years no championships with Ferrari, four years myself failing, then finally, in a great race to achieve it, win the world championship,” he said.</p> <p>When asked who he admires most in the adrenaline filled sport, he said it was Finland driver Mika Hakkinen, his rival driver and the 1998 and 1999 world champion for McLaren.</p> <p>“The most respected guy in all those years was definitely Mika Hakkinen. Great fights, but stable private relationships,” he said, as he mentioned how his secret to success was to learn from other drivers.</p> <p>“To develop yourself, to find other steps, you not only look at the car; you look at yourself, you look at other drivers.</p> <p>“And you’re not only looking at your front drivers, you’re looking at everybody. So, I did, because everybody has something special that I wanted to know.”</p> <p>Schumacher went on to mention his immense admiration for technical mastermind Ross Brawn, who he credits his success to.</p> <p>“If you go back to the various teams I have driven for, the various missions – Benetton, after four or five years building it up to the championship, same with Ferrari, we tried the same with Mercedes in less time – is there one thing in common, I would say yes there is: Ross Brawn. Think about it.”</p> <p>But surprisingly, a young Michael Schumacher didn’t grow up admiring F1 drivers, but rather a German soccer player: Toni Schumacher (no relation).</p> <p>“In the young days of karting, I looked around and yes, I saw Ayrton Senna or Vincenzo Sospiri, but my real idol was Toni Schumacher, because he was a great soccer player,” he said.</p> <p>Schumacher is currently undergoing treatment at his Lake Geneva residence, where he is receiving round-the-clock care from a team of medical professionals. His family are known to be notoriously private of his condition.</p>

Caring

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What’s really going on when someone thinks their house is haunted

<p class="first-para">Don’t assume a property is haunted just because it seems creepy. Studies have found scientific reasons for people sensing an eerie atmosphere or sinister presence when they walk into a particular house.</p> <p>Infrasound – vibrations below the limit of human hearing – is one possible cause. University researchers have discovered that infrasound from something like vibrating water pipes or an electric fan can create feelings of dread and even hallucinations.</p> <p>Other research has found links between reputed hauntings and naturally occurring magnetic fields. For example, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.ejp.org.uk/Braithwaite-Townsend_EJP20.pdf" target="_blank">one study</a></strong></span> by British psychologists traced the ghostly experiences of people sleeping in a castle bedroom to a magnetised bed support.</p> <p>The finding is backed by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00207450600808800" target="_blank">laboratory experiments</a></strong></span> published in the <em>International Journal of Neuroscience</em> that show weak magnetic fields applied to the brain can make people sense the presence of a sentient being.</p> <p>Neurophysiologist <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7rEMvPD1rU&amp;t=803s" target="_blank">Dr Vladimir Dubaj</a></strong></span>, is a credible guide to the amorphous world of ghosts. He lectures in neuroscience at Swinburne University and is president of the Australian Parapsychological Research Association.</p> <p>“I look at it from a scientific perspective,” he says. “Lots of reported hauntings are psychological rather than genuine in nature, some places just look creepy and people expect that the place should be haunted – therefore it must be haunted.</p> <p>“People can misinterpret certain events and believe they’ve had a paranormal experience simply because they want to. I know cases of people saying a property is haunted because drawing attention to it is financially beneficial to them.”</p> <p>Surprisingly, millions of Australians do believe in ghosts. A <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://essentialvision.com.au/?s=ghosts&amp;searchbutton=Search" target="_blank">recent poll</a></strong></span> by Essential Research found 35 per cent believe ghosts exist and can influence their will on the living. Even more (39 per cent) believe that angels and demons are active in the world.</p> <p>Dr Dubaj maintains an open mind, but believes most paranormal experiences are due to expectation, misinterpretation and a brain function called pareidolia, which interprets patterns in random data. Seeing a face on the moon is one example.</p> <p>A house’s spooky reputation could originate like this. The shadow of a stair banister on a moonlit wall appears and disappears with passing clouds. A terrified visitor interprets the shadow as a fleeting ghost, someone else has the same experience and local gossip starts comparing the house to <em>The Amityville Horror</em>.</p> <p>A major problem with investigating paranormal events is that they are random and unpredictable, and science demands something repeatable that can be tested and confirmed. That’s why Dr Dubaj is excited by the results of his teams’ recent study of ghostly events at the convict site of Port Arthur in Tasmania.</p> <p>“We looked at paranormal experiences at Port Arthur over 25 years and found that when there was a lot more electromagnetic activity in the atmosphere, a lot more people were experiencing ghosts,” he says. “It confirms <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2012623" target="_blank">an earlier US study</a></strong></span> that shows the phenomena occurs in the northern hemisphere in exactly the same way.   </p> <p>“There are multiple ways of interpreting the data. You could say certain magnetic field frequencies cause something to occur in the environment, and that the witness just happens to be there at the right time. Or you could say the frequencies are affecting an individual’s brain and causing them to have a sensory hallucination.</p> <p>“However it’s a big step towards gaining a scientific understanding of what’s actually occurring.”</p> <p><em>Written by Iain Gillespie. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Home & Garden

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The story behind Australia’s most haunted locations

<p>Hollywood may be home to the modern horror film, but when it comes to actual haunted houses Australia certainly has its fair share of things that go bump in the night.</p> <p>These spine-tingling tales are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit, or at the very least – have you sleeping with one eye open tonight.  </p> <p><strong>1. Monte Cristo Homestead; NSW</strong></p> <p><strong>The history:</strong> Murder, torture and suicide are all part of the macabre history of “Australia’s most haunted house”, The Monte Cristo Homestead. A caretaker was murdered in the home in 1961, a mentally disabled boy was kept in the homestead’s cottage for many years, a boy died falling down the stairs, a maid fell from a balcony and a stable boy died from injuries after a fire. Many of the ghosts who appear in the residence are believed to be spirits of these people who died there including former lady of the house Mrs Crawley.</p> <p><strong>The hauntings:</strong> With 10 distressed spirits to its name, it’s no wonder reports of invisible force fields, poltergeist action and screams have unnerved even the most hardened mediums. Guests often report seeing strange lights, feeling strange presences, and many who choose to stay overnight report seeing Mrs. Crawley herself.</p> <p><strong>2. Oakabella Homestead; W.A</strong></p> <p><strong>The history:</strong> Often said to be the most haunted house in Western Australia, this homestead is located between Geraldton and Northampton, Oakabella Homestead was established in 1851 by James Drummond on 44,000 acres (17806 ha) of land. Its history includes that of confrontations between local indigenous tribes and natives and the pioneers, a number of child deaths, including that of one child who fell while climbing through an open window breaking their neck, and in 1973, previous occupant George Jackson met an untimely death while sitting in his room cleaning his gun when it went off killing him.</p> <p><strong>The hauntings: </strong>There has been much reported paranormal activity at Oakabella, doors opening and closing on their own, the feeling of a “presence”, strange lights, smells and temperature drops. There are stories of curses, death, strange accidents, great sickness, affairs and a murder that make up the homestead history. Some believe this place is a spiritual portal – a place built on native sacred ground that is a “magnet” for spiritual energy. So much so, that the current caretaker dreamt of a similar homestead as a child and believes she was brought to the place by a spiritual pull. </p> <p><strong>3. Blundell’s Cottage; ACT</strong></p> <p><strong>The history:</strong> Built in 1860, Blundell’s Cottage existed even before the city of Canberra. It was originally inhabited by the Campbell family before the Blundell family moved in, in 1874 and stayed for 60 years, thus giving the cottage its permanent title. Tragically, in 1892, Flora Susanna Blundell, while wearing a white crinoline dress, burnt to death when the dress touched a hot iron, immediately engulfing herself in flames.</p> <p><strong>The hauntings:</strong> The cottage is said to be haunted by the ghost of Florrie Blundell who died at the age of 16 from illness after an accident ironing. She’s been seen several times standing in the gardens of the property and tour groups often complain that the house smells like burned flesh.</p> <p><strong>4. Franklin House; TAS</strong></p> <p><strong>The history:</strong> A sprawling property with gardens and a massive colonial house filled with antiques, Franklin House was built in the late 1830s by Britton Jones, a former convict who moved into brewing and innkeeping. Four years after it was finished, he leased the property to a schoolmaster, William Keeler Hawkes, who turned the mansion into a boys’ academy.</p> <p><strong>The hauntings:</strong> A not-for-profit group which volunteered to find out what happened on the premises after dark reported many experiences of paranormal activities; objects moving by themselves, noises in empty rooms and shadow figures in empty wings. High levels of electromagnetic energy and whispers were reportedly recorded in an upstairs bedroom, when asked “what is your name”, the group recorded a disembodied voice replying “Will”.</p> <p><strong>5. Gooloowan house; QLD</strong></p> <p><strong>The history:</strong> High up on Denmark Hill in Queensland, a 148-year-old Gooloowan house sits with a dark past. In the year 1889, a maid working at the house by the name of Rose Dold became pregnant by another worker. She went to lengths to conceal her pregnancy, had the child, then decided it would be best to lob it down the household well.</p> <p><strong>The hauntings:</strong> In the years following this abominable act, residents and passers-by claimed they could hear the cries of a baby coming from the well. Visitors and occupants at Gooloowan also reported seeing a female apparition stroll about the grounds in old maid’s clothes, while in some rooms – which have remained virtually unchanged all these years – a palpably foreboding presence could be felt, as if someone was watching one’s every move.</p> <p><strong>6. The entire town of Picton; NSW</strong></p> <p><strong>The history:</strong> If tales of a single haunted house isn’t enough to give you goosebumps, then perhaps stories of an entire haunted town will. Picton is reputed to be Australia’s most haunted town, so much so that they made a documentary about it. Of the haunted locations in Picton, the most famous is the disused Redback Range Tunnel, a 592-foot (180 m) railway tunnel. In 1916 a middle-aged woman named Emily Bollard, lived near the tunnel. Her brother lived on the family farm on the other side of the hill. Rather than climb the hill to visit, Emily would take a short cut through the tunnel. One Sunday afternoon Emily set off to visit her brother. Unfortunately, it is believed that Emily forgot to check the railway train timetable. Halfway down the tunnel she met a train. She was killed instantly and her body was carried on the front of the train into Picton.</p> <p><strong>The hauntings:</strong> In the years that followed, reports were made of a woman acting strangely in the tunnel. It is believed by locals that Emily still walks the tunnel. There were many other deaths and suicides in the Redback Range Tunnel while it was in use, and their spirits are said to also haunt the location. Visitors reported seeing unexplained lights and shadows, feeling gusts of wind, and occasionally seeing the ghost of a girl who hanged herself at the entrance of the tunnel.</p> <p>Have you ever been to these scary destinations?</p> <p><em>Written by Pauline Morrissey. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Domain.com.au.</span></strong></a></em></p>

International Travel

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Haunting last words of pilots on doomed flights

<p>Chilling recordings of the final seconds before some of the world’s major plane crashes have revealed the haunting last words of pilots on doomed flights.</p> <p>With every word captured on the in-flight recorder, the tapes providing a sombre look at what it means to be in the cockpit moments before disaster.</p> <p><strong>1. “Goodnight, goodbye, we perish!”</strong></p> <p>When an engine shaft exploded on a Polish Airlines flight to New York in 1987, pilots quickly realised they had lost control and said the famous words of the crash.</p> <p><strong>2. “Don’t do that!”</strong></p> <p>The 2016 FlyDubai flight that crashed just short of the runway in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don provides a chilling inside into the mindset of the pilot moments before disaster.</p> <p><strong>3. “F**k, we’re dead!”</strong></p> <p>Sometimes there’s nothing else you can say. This are the words the pilot of the doomed Air France flight in 2009 said before the plane plunged into the Atlantic.</p> <p><strong>4. “That’s all guys! F***!”</strong></p> <p>Vladivostok Air flight 352 lost control on its approach to Russia in 2001, and according to the recording recovered from the flight, those were the pilot’s last words.</p> <p><strong>5. “Actually, these conditions don’t look very good at all, do they?”</strong></p> <p>These are the famous last words of a pilot on a 1979 Air New Zealand flight en route for a sightseeing trip of Antarctica, that failed due to a technical error.</p> <p><strong>6. “Ah, here we go”</strong></p> <p>After struggling with a jammed stabiliser, an Alaska Airlines flight nosedived into the Pacific Ocean, with the pilot issuing those famous last words above.</p> <p><strong>7. “Ma, I love ya”</strong></p> <p>Just before Pacific Southwest Airlines flight 182 collided with a private light aircraft in 1978, the caption said, “brace yourself” while another crew member said the above.</p> <p><strong>8. “Goodbye everybody”</strong></p> <p>These are allegedly the last words spoken by Captain Karl Berlinger on Swissair flight SR 330 from Zurich to Tel Aviv in 1970 that crashed in Zurich airport. </p>

Travel Tips

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CCTV catches “ghost" haunting Irish school

<p>An old high school in Cork, Ireland, is no stranger to spooky happenings, but the latest incident – which was captured on CCTV – has to be the scariest. Deerpark CBS has shared a video of its halls, recorded at 3 am on a Sunday, showing some seriously creepy goings-on.</p> <p>In the video, a door can be seen swinging in the corridor, a set of lockers starts shaking violently then ejects its contents, and a wet floor sign appears to be kicked over by an invisible force.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FIndependent.ie%2Fvideos%2F10155914204228470%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>As easy as it is to dismiss the events as an elaborate prank, apparently this isn’t an isolated incident. The school, founded in 1828, has a long history of paranormal activity.</p> <p>Deerpark Principal Aaron Wolfe told Unilad that the caretaker once reported hearing “the last call” played on the trumpet in the middle of the night when the school was empty. A pupil once heard crying in the bathroom – despite being alone.</p> <p>But that’s not all. “The female members of staff do complain that this particular part is extremely cold,” he said. “It’s also outside the Religion Room – which is weird.”</p> <p>The plot thickens! Tell us in the comments below, do you believe the school is haunted? Or is this just the product of cheeky students and some very suggestible staff members?</p>

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The haunting reason the Queen will NEVER abdicate

<p>Queen Elizabeth II swore to serve Britain for her entire life but as she heads into her 91st year, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2017/08/queen-secretly-prepares-to-abdicate/">recent rumours that she would step down to let Prince Charles become King on her 95th birthday</a></span></strong> haven’t stopped circulating.</p> <p>The world’s longest-reigning monarch has always made clear she will never abdicate. She pledged her life to duty and service in her famous 21st birthday speech: “I declare ... that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”</p> <p>But royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams has revealed another “haunting” reason why the Queen is so committed to her duty to the nation.  </p> <p>Fitzwilliams told the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/860022/queen-to-abdicate-2017-elizabeth-will-Prince-charles-be-king">Express</a></strong></span>: “I think it is important to emphasise that the Queen will never abdicate. <br /> <br /> “When she swore to serve her whole life she meant every word of it and she has now ruled for over 65 years. <br /> <br /> “Her uncle abdicated and this, seen as a dereliction of duty, still haunts the royal family.”</p> <p><img width="400" height="400" src="http://prod.static9.net.au/_/media/2017/10/03/12/29/171003_QueenCrownYoung-(1).jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Fitzwilliams said the abdication of the 91-year-old monarch’s uncle Edward VIII “haunted” the royal family. His abdication – so he could marry an American divorcee Wallis Simpson – changed the course of history, leading to Elizabeth’s father George becoming King. After he died 16 years later, Elizabeth took the throne at the age of just 25. </p> <p>Fitzwilliams added although Charles’s “whole life has been a preparation for kingship”, the Queen will want succession to occur “naturally".</p> <p>He also brushed aside claims that Prince Charles will not take up his duty and hand over to Prince William.</p> <p>“The way the institution functions is that the succession should occur naturally and symbolise continuity or it could be tampered with by the unscrupulous,” he said. </p>

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