An international crew of ghost hunters from a popular television series have spent four days at the old Napier Prison - working under strict conditions of secrecy until they left.
And when they did leave yesterday, they did so satisfied that travelling across the oceans to Napier had been worth it.
Theco-manager of the historic and allegedly haunted old stone-walled prison, Marion Waaka, said she was restricted in what she could say at this stage but did let slip that the 20-strong Ghost Hunters International (GHI) team "were not disappointed".
"They wanted us to stay quiet until they had finished the job," she said. "They didn't want a lot of people going up there to see them."
Marion and partner Toro Waaka contacted the GHI team this year.
The team produce the Ghost Hunters International series for Sky on its Sky Syfy channel. The channel is not run in New Zealand although there are petitions being put together to get it on screen.
Clips from the popular show (watched by more than a million viewers) can, however, be viewed on YouTube and through www.syfy.com.
"Over the years there have been many reports of strange sights and sounds here at the prison, and we thought it was time to call in the professionals," Marion said.
The show's leading investigators were intrigued by the prison, which was open between 1862 and 1993.
It had also been used as a sanitorium and military barracks. In its early years there had been several hangings at the prison, and some inmates remain buried within the walls.
Marion said mediums and psychics often joined tour parties and some people who had experienced incidents through the years had been interviewed by the GHI team.
She said the crew spent "long and cold nights" during their four days. "They were very impressed."
The new season of the show is set to air from July 18, and Marion said she hoped it would be on New Zealand screens by then.
