The popular towns in Australia that travellers dub the 'creepiest'
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Travellers have been sharing unsettling encounters from what they deem to be Australia's most spine-tingling locations. Whether it's abandoned mines, eerie silences or a history stained by tragedy, in many cases these towns have earned their reputations - and have many posting warnings and re-routing their 'dream' trips.
Queenstown, Tasmania
Once a thriving mining hub on the West Coast, Queenstown is now all but hollowed out. Its barren streets, silent rock-carved gullies, and desolate terrain give it a lunar-like quality. One Reddit user recalled the highway leading into town: 'I felt like I was in Fallout… the saturation was turned way down. It was like being in a crater on the moon.' The economic decline and occasional drug issues only deepen the unease. Houses have sold for as little as $80,000, and locals have remarked that living there is out of necessity, not by choice. A former resident shared that living there 'made me so f***ing sick I nearly ended up in hospital… It's unfriendly, eerie, and just feels… off.' A doctor reportedly warned: 'This place is going to destroy you.'
Aberdeen, NSW
A modest country town, Aberdeen strikes visitors as strangely hollow. One traveler said: 'It felt so incredibly lonely and dead, even though it's not particularly remote.' The abandoned abattoir may add to the gloom, yet the atmosphere remains ominous. Aberdeen was also the childhood home of Katherine Knight, who gained notoriety for a gruesome 2000 murder where she stabbed and skinned her boyfriend before decapitating and attempting to cook and eat his head. Locals say the town seems populated by 'either suicidal or homicidal' folks - a chilling remark that underscores its eerie reputation.
Belanglo State Forest, NSW
Arguably Australia's most notorious macabre site. In the early 1990s, it became infamous as the dumping ground for seven backpackers murdered by serial killer Ivan Milat. More tragedies followed in 2010 when teenager David Auchterlonie had been murdered by his friends and left in a shallow grave. Visitors report an eerie silence - no birds, no wind - while one motorcyclist recalled a heavy, unnerving stillness. 'It felt like the whole forest was waiting with bated breath to see if you were foolish enough to enter it,' they said.
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Though a popular tourist attraction, Port Arthur's colonial ruins and haunting history cast long shadows after dark. The 1996 mass shooting claimed 35 lives and remains Australia's deadliest modern crime, reshaping the nation's gun laws. Ghost tours add a layer of dread: one former student described being 'forcefully prodded' during a night tour, with half the group fleeing in terror. Another visitor recalled chilling events: 'We heard a chair scraping with no one there, then three slow knocks on the window despite nothing on the other side.' Others describe the atmosphere as oppressive - 'like pushing through water.'
Gympie, Queensland
Far from the wilds of the Outback, Gympie's creepiness is more a matter of dark folklore. One user recounted knowing 'a bloke whose brother was thrown off a bridge for a debt… and had his legs amputated from the injuries.' 'To me, it's an old folks home with a train station,' one said. Others insist the town feels underwhelming during the day but 'transforms' at night.
Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
Located in the remote Top End, this town hit the headlines in the late 1990s due to violence and unrest. One late-night traveller noticed security grilles on every hotel window. A chilling first impression: 'I felt the hair on the back of my neck go up. Horribly creepy place, will be happy if I never go back.' While each place comes with its own backstory - from mining collapse, local crime, tragic historic sites, to outright violence - the common thread is the heavy, almost tangible atmosphere that stays with you long after you leave. These haunting locations serve as chilling reminders that Australia's wild beauty often has undercurrents of darkness, history and human suffering that can't be easily shaken off. And after one visit, especially after dusk, most would far prefer never to go back.
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