Scenic landscapes, vibrant foliage, immaculate public parks, and leafy streets are generally good indicators of what makes a town pleasing to the eye and NSW is pulsing with plenty of such spots. But what defines a town as creepy? Legends of ghostly sightings, mysterious sounds, colonial architecture that whispers tales of the past, and an atmosphere thick with mystery can all contribute to a town’s spooky reputation. A Reddit user posed this question to the r/nsw community and one town rose above the rest as the creepiest of them all.
Kempsey, NSW
Set on the banks of the Macleay River, Kempsey may seem like a quiet, unremarkable town but when it comes to the spookiness, it makes quite an impression.
“A town where everyone talks but nobody saw a thing; the only reason many move to Kempsey is due to hiding out from something or someone,” one user said.
Some users point to the town’s history, with its colonial architecture adding an extra layer of creepiness. “For me, it’s the prison. There’s a kind of colonial creepiness about the place,” a user said.
Other contenders
Kempsey isn’t the only town on the list. A close second vote went to the sleepy town of Walgett in remote northwest NSW which is the northern gateway to the popular opal fields of Lightning Ridge.
It was described as having “every window barred, cameras everywhere. The moment you arrive, you can feel eyes on you.”
Another community user likened the tiny, historic village of St Albans as entering the Upside Down. Some others agreed that the whole stretch of the old Great North Rd north of the Hawkesbury is “eerie” to drive through.
Surprisingly, Picton, which has long held the title of Australia’s most haunted town was dismissed by locals as just a quaint and sleepy rural village.
The small village of Medelow Bath located in the Blue Mountains was another suggestion with upvotes with a user claiming it’s “actually haunted by ghosts.” Another user says if you want to experience a yowie (a mythical Australian folklore entity that lives in the outback) you should head to Dalmorton, an obscure little ghost town near Grafton.
My personal favourite is this little gem: “This thread is a hilarious example of city folk being terrified of country folk; The scariest place in NSW is Sydney.”
Let’s face it, when your biggest fear is surviving rush hour on public transport and overpriced coffee, you know you’re living in the real horror show.
Read the full Reddit thread here.