Star psychic senses "a killing"

Popular Kiwi medium Kelvin Cruickshank has strong links with Rotorua - some more sinister than others.

He lived and worked in Rotorua on and off for about four years, his beloved grandfather's ashes were sprinkled in Lake Tarawera and he was once fooled into ridding the lake of demonic spirits.

Now one of New Zealand's most recognised mediums, Mr Cruickshank was in Rotorua yesterday signing copies of his autobiography Walking In Light and reflecting on his links with the district.

His popularity with Rotorua residents as a medium on reality crime show Sensing Murder was in no doubt as locals queued in Tutanekai St's Paper Plus store ahead of his half-hour signing session.

Rotorua resident Jenny Gis felt so moved by Mr Cruickshank's message, she made sure she was first in line.

"I have had some personal experiences which were freaking me out a bit, but reading the questions in the back of the book gave me everything I needed to know," Miss Gis said.

Mr Cruickshank said the ashes of his grandfather Monty Haack were sprinkled at Lake Tarawera - a place he visited every chance he got.

"It's a place that feels safe for me," Mr Cruickshank told The Daily Post.

"He was a great man. We have a very close bond. I come down here all the time. I go jetskiing, go fly fishing and go spend time with my koro."

While his grandfather has meant a positive connection to the lake, it hasn't always been that way.

Mr Cruickshank previously became involved with a sinister medium referred to only as "Valerie" who encouraged him to try and release the demonic energy from Lake Tarawera.

While it started out fine, the exercise turned bad when he remembered a story his grandfather told him about a ghost waka that came through the fog before Mt Tarawera erupted.

The ghost was seen as a warning.

In his book, Mr Cruickshank wrote of his regret in being led astray by Valerie, someone he described as being a "selfish, nasty, vindictive lady".

Mr Cruickshank later returned to make peace with the spirits.

Mr Cruickshank lived in Rotorua on and off for four years. He worked as a chef at Sirocco's Restaurant on Eruera St and lived at Kawaha Pt during one of the most testing periods in his life when he battled against an addiction to the behavioural drug Ritalin.

Despite some dark moments, Mr Cruickshank said he had come to terms with his gift.

He said he believed Sensing Murder had "opened up people's eyes" to the possibility of conversing with those who had "passed over".

"It's massive. It's made people think," Mr Cruickshank said.

"We are working with murderers and that's disgusting, but [the spirits] know we are working with love."

The next season of Sensing Murder has been shot and is in post-production, scheduled to screen in New Zealand in July or August.
TextBox1: KELVIN'S ROTORUA LINKS * His grandfather's ashes were sprinkled at Lake Tarawera

* He is a former chef at Sirocco's Restaurant in Eruera St

* Lived here on and off here for four years

* Was a member of a spiritualist church in Rotorua

* Was first prescribed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Ritalin - a drug he eventually become addicted to for almost three years

* He now spends time at Lake Tarawera jet skiing and deer hunting whenever he can saying the area is "a place where he feels safe".