Hair Raiser Tours — Attraction in Otago

I did the Ghost at the Old Library tour last night with my best friend and I loved every moment of it! We had gone to the Otago Settlers Museum before, so during this tour I was able to better visualise the different locations I learned about at the museum (such as Black Dog Alley). I really enjoyed this because the tour was not just about spooky things, but you also learned historical information as well. It helped me appreciate the city more and feel a better connection with it. It's a really nice feeling when you finally understand the significance of different buildings and names that are around you.

I feel that Mr Smith did a fine job of educating us, while also being respectful to the spirits who wander the land. I am from a culture where we do believe in the supernatural and paranormal, and it is important to respect them because we share space with them, and sometimes they need our help or our kindness. I have been on other tours (in New Zealand and other countries), where the guide would make a joke about someone's death. On one tour, the guide had us standing directly on top of where someone had been buried alive in concrete and their remains were still there. They didn't tell us we were standing on top of someone's resting place until we were already there, as it was the punchline to a joke. Needless to say, I was very upset. So I appreciate Mr Smith being kind and caring to those who wander and those who are lost. Even when he did make jokes and was silly, it was never exploitative or tasteless. 😊

This tour was very in depth, and Mr Smith is a walking, living archive with so much knowledge. You can tell he cares about what he does (and who he's talking about) and to me that makes him stand out from other tour companies. I plan to do a tour with him again later in the year when my other best friend comes to visit. 😇

Thank you very much for a wonderful experience. See you again soon!...

What to do in Dunedin? Well, one thing you do NOT want to miss is the Crime Walk (Hair Raising Tours) with Andrew Smith. This was such a highlight of our time in the city - fun, spooky, and very memorable. I can't seem to shake Andrew's tale of the young man who perished in Black Dog Alley (this one has a tragic love angle). You get the sense of what Dunedin was back in the crazy days of the gold rush, when bodies showed up in alleys and dark spaces more than you can imagine. Andrew gives you the creepy side of the city's history, with a flair - his stories are NEVER boring. Then there's the cherry on top - a tour of the Dunedin Gaol. Andrew's the only one with a key, so if you want to slip inside this now-abandoned relic you need to take the tour. Once inside the prison, you can feel the place in your bones. Nothing else like it. This one is 10 out of 10,...

I could not recommend this tour more. A group of friends and I attended the tour last week, and we all agreed the tour was the highlight of our time in Dunedin. The tour is very interesting and allows you to see Dunedin in a new light or a new level of darkness. But what truly makes the tour is the guide, Andrew. He was funny, warm, extremely well-informed and a city gem. It is people like Andrew who make New Zealand such a special country. The tour is worth every penny. The hair raisers tour cannot be missed if you are ever in Dunedin. Thank you, Andrew, for showing us around a city you love; whenever I see a top hat or a lantern, I will think of you and your cobblestone streets. If we meet in the next life, I will wear my green turtle neck jumper if you bring your...