Ray White Group’s data analysis team has documented 82 haunted locations across New Zealand, revealing surprising patterns about where supernatural entities choose to reside.
“Of the 82 haunted locations we documented, 22 (26 per cent) are hotels, pubs, and restaurants,” Atom Go Tian, Senior Data Analyst at Ray White Group said.
“Among these, the Vulcan Hotel in St Bathans stands out with a story dating back to the 1860s gold rush. Its resident ghost is Rose, a prostitute who worked there during the boom years.”
The research indicates that communal spaces dominate the list of haunted locations, with museums, theatres, and cultural venues coming in second at 20 per cent of documented sites.
“It seems spirits are drawn not just to where we eat and drink, but also to where we gather for entertainment,” Mr Go Tian said.
“The Regent Theatre in Dunedin, built in 1928, is one of New Zealand’s most haunted locations. Staff report seeing a ghostly ‘lady in white’ in the upper levels, thought to be connected to the building’s cinema projectionist past.”
Contrary to popular belief, private residences account for only 16 per cent of haunted locations, challenging the common perception of the haunted house.
“New Zealand’s most haunted residence isn’t even a house—it’s a castle,” Mr Go Tian said.
“Larnach Castle in Dunedin was built between 1871 and 1887 by banker and politician William Larnach, whose life was marked by tragedy.
“Multiple ghosts have been sighted over the years, including William Larnach himself.”
The analysis also revealed geographic concentrations of paranormal activity, with Dunedin Central emerging as the most haunted suburb in New Zealand.
“Dunedin Central has seven locations all within walking distance of each other. This concentration likely stems from the Otago gold rush, which made Dunedin New Zealand’s wealthiest and largest city during the 19th century,” Mr Go Tian said.
“When the gold rush ended and the economy declined, buildings weren’t torn down; they were simply preserved, ghosts and all.”
In contrast, Auckland Central’s rapid modernisation has potentially reduced its supernatural presence, with only four haunted locations remaining as “rare survivors” of its Victorian past.
Perhaps most intriguing is the correlation between property values and paranormal activity. The research found that most haunted suburbs have house prices above the national median of $770,000.
“With the exception of Dunedin Central, all suburbs on the list have house prices that are greater than the national median,” Mr Go Tian said.
“The range spans from Bluff Hill in Hawke’s Bay at $833,000 to Parnell’s $2.4 million. Once again, our ghosts appear to prefer being where we are.”
Parnell, Auckland’s most expensive suburb with a median house price of $2.4 million, is also New Zealand’s most haunted residential area, featuring four haunted houses.
“It’s hard enough competing with each other for housing, apparently, we have the other dimension to worry about as well!” Mr Go Tian said.
