GHOST BUSTED - After 47 years, a spooky secret is out

by Peter de Graaf and Andr? Hueber
It's been almost 50 years, but the mystery of the Mair Park ghost has been laid to rest at last.
For three hair-raising months in the winter of 1961, couples courting in the park were terrified by wailing, strange lights, and a luminous figure that left no footsteps and disappeared at will.
In last Saturday's Advocate, Whangarei youth pastor Symon Drake - who grew up on his parents' tales of how they tried to catch the spook - made a plea for the ghost to come forward and end the mystery.
And now the secret's out.
Onerahi reader Dan Logan sent a clipping of the story to Whangaparoa man Robin Davies, who called the Advocate and revealed all.
The Mair Park ghost was no spirit - just a 16-year-old prankster having a bit of fun.
The ghost was Robin's younger brother Kevin Davies who, until he passed away in 2006, was better known as "Cabbie", a Whangarei taxi-driver and regular at the Kensington Tavern.
At first the identity of the ghost was a mystery even to Robin, although the lads shared the same room at the family's Oranga Rd home. Eventually, Kevin let his big brother in on the secret.
"He was having a hell of a lot of fun. He'd ride his bike to where the playground is now, usually at dusk, sometimes later. It was a well-known courting place, and when he'd see a couple going down the track he'd scoot ahead of them, make ghost noises and shine a light on them.
"I used to see him come home on his bike, a big smirk on his face," Robin said.
Self-styled ghost-busters tried to catch him several times, but Kevin knew the area so well he could always slip away. Often he was on his bike, explaining his speed and lack of footsteps. The sheet he sometimes wore accounted for the "luminous" figure.
Soon ghost sightings were reported almost daily on the radio. People started visiting Mair Park hoping to see the ghost and the publicity only heightened Kevin's fun.
"Then it got more serious. The police got involved and I told him to pull his head in."
Kevin's sister, Christine Sargent, still lives near Mair Park and always knew he was the ghost.
"Kevin used to spend all his time at Mair Park - it was his domain. He'd get up early and go whitebaiting in the Hatea River. He used to hop on his bike with a large net over his shoulder and ride to his favourite possie."
Mr Drake was delighted the mystery that had taunted his parents' generation had finally been solved. "I told my dad and he was over the moon," he said.