by Julia Hebaiter (aka Julia Svoice) (
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Owns 'FoodLit'. Highly qualified, established food & lifestyle writer, former restaurateur, founder professional writing business, Articul8. Long, diverse writing history, passion for food culture, the land & inspired food language.www.foodlit.com.au
It's ghosts galore in Sorrento's main street on the first Saturday night of each month with
Sorrento Ghost Tours.
The walking tour along Ocean Beach Road includes around 12 stops outside of various venues (and up a few spooky alleyways), eight of which are believed to house resident ghosts.
Just listen and look out for host Jenny's ghost detector (or
electromagnetic field meter actually). If it beeps and flashes, it means there's a ghoul nearby, with many physics who have done the tour confirming that this is true.
Sorrento's ghosts include the Hon. George Coppin, entrepreneur, philanthropist and parliamentarian who built the Continental Hotel in 1875 and established Sorrento as a popular seaside resort. Many say he never left.
Also visit the Three Palms Restaurant, a former family home and site of the mysterious disappearance of a young girl, as well as the Athenaeum Cinema, watched over by a lady in white who has been seen by numerous people.
If you can't make it on a Saturday night, don't worry. Extra tours run on public holidays and during the school holidays. They used to run for 90 minutes, but additional ghost activity of late sees them often running for closer to two hours.
Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
The tours are fast-becoming a big attraction in an already interesting and beautiful area with plenty to see and do. If you're heading up and want to make a weekend of it, here are some extra
things to see and do.