Haunted Roads
- Jo Greaves
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
In a country as large as Australia, our roadways are an important aspect of our lives. From crowded roads of our large cities, bustling suburban streets and remote outback highways, our roads are our connection to each other.
Unfortunately, our roads are also often the site of tragedy, and when the unthinkable happens there may be more than you expect left behind.
There are some roads that you may not want to travel down, no matter how much you need to. Eerie tales and spine-chilling legends can add an extra layer of mystery to the Australian landscape.
In this post my spooky pals, we will look at some of the paranormal tales of Australia’s roadways. Let’s start with my home state – New South Wales.
The Wakehurst Parkway
The Wakehurst Parkway is one of Australia’s most notoriously haunted roads. It stretches approximately 14.5km along Sydney’s Northern Beaches, from Seaforth to North Narrabeen, at some points through dense bushland where darkness can envelop you. It is along some of these sections that we travel to today.
Many stories involve phantom hitchhikers, a nun and a lady in white who appear beside the road, trying to make motorists stop. These, however, may all be the same spectre, as they all have very similar elements. There is a legend that if you drive along the Parkway at night, a female will appear in your backseat and will try to take control of the car – unless you tell her to get out. This hitchhiker has been named “Kelly” and has been seen both standing on the side of the road around the area of the C3 Church at Oxford Falls, and in the backseat of cars. She has been spotted by many drivers navigating the road at night, some of whom have shared their stories with the press in this article. No-one quite knows who Kelly is, or why she haunts the Parkway. There are also reports of a nun, again both on the side of the road and suddenly appearing in the backseat of vehicles. Who is this nun, and does she haunt the Parkway? Are these two entities the same person? This is indeed what has been speculated by some paranormal investigators.
Local paranormal investigators have visited the Parkway, including ETFW who have communicated with Kelly using dowsing rods (which is pretty cool tbh, I like old school methods) and the Necrophonic app. Check their videos out here: Part 1 and Part 2.
Personally, I have driven the Wakehurst Parkway a few times, usually during the day and not much happens during the daylight hours – but I have yet to venture there at night!
Victoria Pass
Now we travel away from the beaches and streets of Sydney and head out west to the amazing Blue Mountains. As you drive through the mountains, past the cafes and gardens of Leura, the historic landmarks and quirky shops of Katoomba, and the antique stores scattered along the Great Western Highway, you will eventually reach Mount Victoria. Mt Vic (as it is known to the locals) is a lovely little town, well worth a visit, as you head out toward Lithgow. It is just as you pass through Mt Vic that you will come to the stretch of highway known as Victoria Pass. You see, this highly travelled stretch of road has a chilling history.
Construction on Victoria Pass commenced in 1830 using convict labour, and was officially opened in 1832. It is hailed as one of the “oldest and most significant engineered works in Australia still in use today” and allowed further expansion of settlement towards the west of the state. If you’ve ever travelled from Sydney to Bathurst, Lithgow or beyond, then chances are you’ve been along Victoria Pass. Many convicts lost their lives while completing construction of the road, and there have been many fatal car accidents, but it is not these spirits that give Victoria Pass its notoriety.
Many a tale has been told of the spectre of a woman in black, with long dark hair and a white face being seen along the road, her arms outstretched. Some say her eyes shine in the darkness, others have reported her as being headless. As suddenly as she appears, she disappears. In the days of horse and cart, tales abounded of horses being spooked as they approached the stretch of road where she appears. In more modern times, truck drivers and motorists alike claim to see her at night. One witness even said that she drove through the spirit, who appeared more as a black mist than a figure. It then disappeared in her rear-view mirror.
But who is this spirit? And why is she there? Unlike our previous story, there is a fair amount of information known about this poor soul. Her name is Caroline Collits (nee James). Her tragic story culminates with her brutal murder at the hands of her brother-in-law in 1842. Details of her life have been documented in various places on the internet and in podcasts, but this one will give you a very good summary.
Wilfred Barrett Drive
Wilfred Barrett Drive is a stretch of road that runs along the central coast towns of The Entrance, through to Nowraville and on to Budgwoi. Despite the lovely scenery, though, travelling along this stretch of road at night can be treacherous.....
People who have navigated this area of the central coast at night speak of a young woman in white with long hair who appears on the side of the road seeking a lift. Those who have picked her up say that she is silent in th backseat, and then mysteriously disappears as the car reaches Noraville Cemetary.
Reports of deaths along the road hint at the possible identity of the hitchhiking spectre. Reportedly a young lady was picked up by a number of youths while hitchhiking home from work in the 1970s, and was tragically raped and murdered and dumped at the nearby Jenny Dixon Beach. On her deathbed she vowed that revenge would come to those who caused her death, and indeed that seemed to happen to the those who harmed her.
There is some confusion over our hitchiking ghost and the hauntings at Jenny Dixon Beach. The Jenny Dixon story is quite interesting and also worth looking into if you are so inclined. I haven't included it here, but may do a separate post about in the future. A good article to read is here.
So that's it for today my spooky friends. But first a word of apology - unfortunately I have been unwell and have some long term treatments happening which may mean I don't get the chance to research and post as much as I want to, but I will let people know when I do post. I have some grest ides lined up, but also need to concentrate on getting better and taking care of myself. Please continue to share the blog and I'll see you again soon!
Further reading:
Wakehurst Parkway:
Victoria Pass:
Wilfred Barrett Drive:
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