Go Local: Audio tours enhancing the Napier experience

Participants in a new ghost tour at Napier Prison are guaranteed to hear voices.

And perhaps apt for a prison, the new tour was developed during lockdown.

Marion Waaka runs the Napier Prison and is also the founder of Citywalksz World, a worldwide audio tour app.

Prison visitors can now listen to a new ghost tour through audio devices that guide them around the spooky old building.

Marion said the ghost tour is "totally different" to an existing historic tour and is a "complete revamp" to a previous ghost tour developed in 2007.

The audio tour includes new information from psychics and paranormal groups who have visited the prison, realistic sound effects and some information about the prison.

Meanwhile, Waaka said Citywalkz World is looking to develop a new experience to showcase Napier.

Citywalkz World already has two Napier audio tours on its app – the Napier Art Deco tour and Napier Earthquake tour.

A new app providing multiple Napier audio tours is in development.

Known as NapierWalks, it will include the existing audio tours and three new ones being developed: a Maori cultural tour, Napier at night and "Back to the 1930s".

Waaka said they had recently received Napier City Council funding, and the app was expected to emerge later this year.

"Just having an app, it means they (visitors) can see the best things to do in an area without carrying heavy guidebooks.

The cultural tour was developed by local Māori with knowledge of the area and its history. A te reo version is also being developed.

The "Back to the 1930s" tour is a "back to the future" style tour with two characters talking.

The Napier at Night tour helps explore the city, explaining historic information about buildings and giving the listener a slice of what to expect when visiting local attractions during the day.