Shadows by the Sea: Paranormal Tales from Port Macquarie

The final stop on this trip is Port Macquarie. Known for its beaches, coastal walks, and laid-back lifestyle, but beyond the sun and surf, this quiet town on New South Wales’ Mid North Coast harbours a darker side. With a convict past, historic buildings, and windswept bushland, Port Macquarie has become a focal point for local ghost stories and unexplained encounters.

One of the town’s oldest and most haunted buildings is Hayward House, built in the 1840s. It’s now part of the popular “Port by Night” ghost tour. Bruce Thompson, the tour’s guide known locally as the ‘Man in Black,’ recounts years of eerie experiences from the house. Visitors have reported hearing phantom footsteps echo through empty hallways, and several have claimed to feel sudden icy drafts and the distinct sensation of being watched. In some cases, guests have described more forceful phenomena: being pushed or scratched, only to find no one nearby.

Some visitors describe hearing whispered conversations in empty rooms or sensing a presence standing just behind them, though no one is ever there when they turn around.

Another stop on the tour is the Historic Burying Ground, the town’s oldest cemetery. Grave markers date back to the early 19th century, many belonging to convicts, soldiers, and settlers. Apparitions dressed in 1800s military uniforms have been seen wandering between the headstones. One tour participant captured a photograph that appeared to show a faint figure standing just behind a weathered cross, though no one had been present at the time. Others have reported cold spots so sudden and sharp that it felt like stepping into a different world, even on a warm evening.

Local legends also speak of a ghostly presence at a former quarry site near the town. One widely shared legend describes a tall, smoky-gray figure in robes that appears at the top of a hill where the quarry once operated. Witnesses have also reported seeing a thick, self-contained fog cross the road at night. Within it, some say, a pale face emerges and peers silently into car windows before vanishing without a trace. These encounters have reportedly occurred in regular intervals, with some saying the phenomenon returns every fifty years, and that another appearance is expected soon.

One local driver recalled pulling over one night when the fog became too thick to see through. As they sat waiting, headlights off, something knocked softly, deliberately, on their passenger window. When they looked, no one was there.

Just south of Port Macquarie, a stretch of road near Lake Cathie is locally known as Ghost Road. Officially named Houston Mitchell Drive, it has developed a reputation for eerie activity. Some believe the ghost of a long-dead bushranger haunts the area, while others tell of cars that stall for no reason and sudden cold spots that seem to follow vehicles.

A few locals claim to have seen a mysterious car appear in their rearview mirror, headlights glowing too close, only for the car to vanish when they tried to pull over and let it pass. Some drivers have even reported strange electrical malfunctions: radios cutting out, headlights flickering, engines dying momentarily before sputtering back to life.

One lesser-known report involves the Ki-ea Apartment Building, where a guest staying overnight heard a loud bang followed by a scream for help echoing through the hall. Rushing to investigate, they found the corridor empty and silent. No one had entered or exited, and no signs of a disturbance were ever found.

Another visitor shared a chillingly similar experience. While relaxing in the rooftop hot tub during a holiday stay, they heard a loud crash from below and someone screaming “Help!” from the street level. Looking over the balcony, they expected to see someone in distress, but the street was empty. Not a single person in sight. The noise, the voice, and the sense of urgency were all real, but like so many moments in the paranormal, they left no trace behind.

These accounts offer a different view of Port Macquarie, not just a town for surfers and retirees, but a place where the past sometimes refuses to stay buried. Whether you’re a believer or a sceptic, something about these stories lingers long after the sun goes down.