The spine-tingling suspense of Bundaberg’s new Midnight Ghost Tour will have you shivering from head to toe with some of the region’s most extraordinary stories.
Hosted by Jo Marshall of JoJo’s Day Tours, the Midnight Ghost Tour is not for the fainthearted but definitely recommended for the open minded.
After the success of her first ghost tour held earlier this month, and from her personal experience, Jo will now offer the tour on a regular basis.
The entertaining and informative evening starts at Quay Street, but Jo said the possibilities of where it took you, and when it finished where endless.
Jo said she had been blown away with support from the community, and to her surprise the tours had been booked by locals rather than visitors to the area.
“We take a look at the Bundaberg Region and its history throughout the tour,” Jo said.
“Surprisingly we have some of the most haunted locations in Australia with a rich history right here.
“The response to the tour so far has all been from locals, Bundy born and bred, who are keen to learn more about their own backyard.”
Not wanting to let the cat out of the bag, Jo said she wouldn’t reveal the locations before the tour started as the suspense from a bus load of people made the perfect start to an evening of the unknown.
“I don’t like to give away the locations, but I can say there are three, as it’s a bit of a mystery,” Jo said.
“We travel to a couple of different places and enjoy a beautiful meal at one of these.
“There is a specific interest and focus on the macabre and history at the places we visit.”
The idea behind the Midnight Ghost Tours came to Jo after losing her dad after a lengthy illness, that involved care from much of the family.
“When dad was really sick and he needed 24-hour care, I hired a charter bus to give mum a break, and we would head out with friends and family on day tours,” Jo said.
“Dad fed off this, it was really a highlight for him, as mum shared the stories of the day with him, it was incredible.
“And just before Dad passed, he said ‘promise me you’ll get yourself a bus and do what you do best, show them your passion, get out and do it’.
“And so, I did.”
Jo said she secured the bus and as a surprise to her mum, Margaret, who is also her right-hand man when it comes to the tours, she had a portrait of her dad wrapped around the outside of the bus in his memory.
Jo’s love for sharing the region’s best destinations is well entrenched in her, as she has previously guided tours to Lady Musgrave, Mon Repos right through to gold panning in the west.
“By all means I am not a paranormal expert, but I’m not a cynic either – I have an open mind and that’s what is needed when coming on a tour like this,” she said.
“I’ve been on history tour through Tasmania, and I thoroughly enjoyed them, so I wanted to share the information of this region.
“And when I was in Thailand, I saw the Thailand Midnight Tour and thought how wonderful, it looked fabulous, so I put a different swing on things and started it here.”
To find out more, or when the next Midnight Ghost Tour will take place, click here.
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Congratulations Jo on your new business venture. Our Mystery Tour last Thursday was excellent, educational, fabulous and friendly. Hope to join you again soon. Ruth Maxey-Fisher.