Interest in the paranormal is as old as society itself, and even older. In many ways it is the basis of all religion. It is consistently popular, because it could potentially answer some of the oldest questions we have – are we alone, and do we go on?

Of course, “the paranormal” itself is a broad term that encompasses a huge range of elements, from ghosts and spirits to angels and demons, from Bigfoot and yeti and yowie to the Loch Ness Monster or chupacabra or patapaiarehe, from telekinesis to past-life theory, premonitions and visions, and aliens and UFOs. All of these are perennially popular, yet each waxes and wanes in fads, as movies and books top the charts, and as true-life encounters hit the headlines.

I grew up in New Zealand Aotearoa and have lived almost as long again in Australia. Both these small ex-British colonies have in many ways depended upon their bigger sibling countries like England and the United States for cultural imports. Every overseas Amityville horror or Exorcist or Rendlesham or Roswell incident titillated and thrilled us, as if we didn’t have our own spooks and mysteries to scare us. Until the late 20th century and its mass media and the dawn of the internet, Australia was often seen from overseas as a tropical cliché of kangaroos hopping down its main streets and New Zealand barely even known about, often not even shown on maps.

The truth of the matter is that both countries have more than enough stories to tell, both from their much older Indigenous cultures and in the post-colonial settlements that sprang up after. Many of these stories have the distinct flavour of each country, yet many stories are forgotten even within them. This podcast will tell some of those stories. What were the mysterious lights over Kaikoura, New Zealand in 1978? Does a species of ape-man lurk in the Australian bush? What picked up and dropped the car of a family of four driving across the Outback in the 1980s? Do the moa and the marsupial lion still exist? Where are the most haunted hotspots in both countries and how can you visit them?

Over the course of this podcast, you’ll find out…until then, stay spooky!

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