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| Murder,
ghosts, scandals, legends & mysteries! |
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Before the
tour...
I've often heard comments from people who live (or have lived) in Canberra, Australia's capital city, who say that it's a boring place. "Nothing ever happen's here.." they've complained. So it was with much surprise that I heard our favourite haunted Cadillac hearse Elvira, and her owner/driver The Hearse Whisperer had added to their existing tour repertoire and were transporting daring punters (upright of course) around this "boring" city. After attending the tour, and hearing the lowdown on Canberra I'm happy to report that this is definitely NOT TRUE.... Canberra is unquestionably the Mystery Capital of Australia! 
About the tour The tour is a great mixture of ghostly tales, strange facts, humourous anecdotes and the seedy delve into the dark side of Canberra told by our guide Tim the Yowie Man (or TYM for short). TYM narrates the tales of crime, murder, sex, scandals, ghosts, meat pies (meat pies?? You'll have to go on the tour to understand that one!) and more, all whilst you're sitting in comfort in the back of a beautiful black '67 Cadillac Hearse named Elvira. Actually, did I say "comfort"? I should mention that some people don't feel too comfortable in Elvira due to some strange experiences they've had in the car. Namely, a brush or two with the spirits who haunt the car, such as Tom who often checks in on the car. Don't worry, Tom isn't a scary spirit, but he sometimes takes a liking to girls who ride in the car. Tom has also been known to wreak havoc with cameras and other recording equipment (my own digital recorder turned itself off on the tour - we'll put the onus on Tom for that one!) and may make his presence known to select participants - including skeptics. Allen "the Hearse Whisperer" is used to these spooky occurrences and will gladly tell you what Tom & his friends have gotten up to on previous tours!  What
are some of the stories?
You'll hear about; a Prime Minister who died mysteriously in the night a Cadet who was forgotten a strange request by a local artist a lake on which cars can drive a morbid tale of body parts a train station where people worship God + the many ghosts of Canberra such as the ghost who haunts the War Memorial. & much more!  |
Where do you go?
Some places visited on the tour are:
+ many more!- Duntroon and Duntroon House - Canberra's oldest residence with it's own legend's & ghosts - The Lodge - Scrivener Dam - Canberra's answer to "The Gap" - Old Parliament House which is reportedly one of the most haunted places in Australia (see more on that below) Old Parliament House is the "stretch-your-legs" part of the tour. Whilst we were taking photos and milling around the steps of Parliament we were lucky enough to speak to two security guards who told us a bit about their experiences with Malcolm, one of the resident ghosts. Malcolm has reportedly spooked many people including a cleaner who heard him call out her name!  One guard went on to say that although they
are used to the sightings of the ghosts, they are at times, still
quite nervous about patrolling of the old building.
Apparently Old Parliament House sees many guards come and go - new recruits weren't notified about the ghosts in their job description! So there you have it, a small glimpse into the Weird Canberra Ghost & History Tour! I've tried not to mention too many specifics of the night, and yes I did this is on purpose -- I don't want to ruin the tour for you! But I bet you're still wondering about the meat pies right? Do I recommend this tour? DEFINITELY, 110% Even if you've lived in Canberra your entire life (as was the case with a few people on the tour I attended), you'll still be surprised by how much you learn on the night. This tour is definitely a night of fun. If you're looking for a tour of a different kind this is the one for you. There's nothing like traveling around in a beautiful Cadillac limousine, especially when it's a hearse! You think that you're the one that's going on a tour, what you may not realise until you're there is that YOU are also on show -- Elvira the Hearse get's more than her own fair share of attention -- a (live) passenger hearse is not a familiar sight in Canberra! Bring along your friends and prepare to learn about the other side of Canberra, things that you'll never get out of the tour guides from the hotel! NB: Make sure you book early - this tour fills up very quickly as it's very popular! This is the only time you'll be able to say you rode in the back of a hearse and got to go home at the end of the trip! Enjoy the ride! - Kelly Heard enough? Want to go on the tour? Call Allan Levinson on: 0414 232244
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| Who's who of Weird Canberra... | ||
Allan
"the Hearse Whisperer" Levinson It all started with a Pink Cadillac for Allan. Not one of the Natalie Cole variety (Natalie who?) but a pastel pink 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville called COOL59, a car which screamed rock and roll and although he no longer owns the "cheeseburger and fries" inspiring car his infatuation with Cadillacs didn't end there. As soon as Allan set eyes on Elvira, the sleek black Cadillac hearse, he knew he had chosen "the" car. But the question is, was it the other way around, had she chosen him? Whichever way it happened, you could say it was "Destiny". :) Allan took Elvira home in 1999 and over the next couple of years Elvira was converted from an unused hearse (well, she was no longer transporting recently deceased persons as far as I know) into a plush limousine fit for transportation of live passengers. Allan then combined his love for Cadillacs with his interest in the Weird and wonderful.... He and Elvira teamed together to start the Weird Sydney Ghost & History Tour which remains one of the most popular ghost/history tours in Sydney! Since then, Elvira was joined by Morticia, the sassy 1962 Cadillac Miller Meteor Landau Panoramic Combination Hearse/Ambulance with the snow leopard interior. Allan & his girls host tours in Sydney (City, Campbelltown & Parramatta) and Canberra. |
About
Tim the Yowie Man - Crypto-Naturalist! Tim the Yowie Man (that's actually his name!) has spent much of his life in Canberra so it's no wonder he knows all about the strange and mysterious side of the political heart of the country. TYM is a local (enthralling kids and adults alike with his "Mystery Tours" at the National Museum) and international (working on US radio and allegedly revealing the "top secret" location for reality TV show 'Survivor II - the Australian Outback) identity and has had more than his own share of the mysterious. His life took a sudden turn when one day in the early 1990's he spotted a creature called a Yowie (Australian Bigfoot). Since that sighting he's dedicated his life to the study of unusual phenomena, travelling the World investigating crop circles, monsters, Min Min lights, supposedly extinct animals & more!
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About
Elvira - the Worlds most Haunted Hearse!
This isn't the first time Elvira, the World's Most Haunted Hearse, transported people around a city. For 30 years, she was owned by a funeral parlour in Santa Rosa, California, carrying 10,000 people to their last resting place before retiring from the funeral industry for good. She was then exported to Australia. and eventually caught the eye of Allan who snatched her up as soon as the conditions (and price) were right. Allan converted Elvira into a sleek hearse-limousine fit for 7 vertical passengers in the back, and 2 in the front. The rest is, as they say, history!   |
About
Grandpa - Destiny Tours' New Driver! Not a lot is known about Grandpa at this stage, unfortunately he couldn't make the trip to Canberra. He wasn't feeling like his old self that day so he opted to rest in Morticia the Hearse...  Rest in peace Grandpa! |
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"DON'T
LEAVE THE BEST RIDE OF YOUR LIFE TILL LAST" |
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