For Halloween fans, it is the stuff of dreams—and the occasional nightmare.
Visitors to Dunedin’s Glenelg Haunt display last night were welcomed inside a garage bedecked with skeletons, containing a route through a wide array of spooky set-ups.
Organiser Samantha Hayde said the event drew 500 people last year, and this year she hoped for an even bigger turnout.
One of her former pupils as an early childhood teacher went through the route six times before her mother called time.
"It’s probably the best feedback, that they just want to keep doing it," she said.
There were also the occasional comment from a parent afterwards that their child had a nightmare.
"They actually said, wow, thanks because you’ve made such an impact, which seems a bit crazy, but it is Halloween."
However this year there was also an area for little children who found the main route too scary.
It was the fifth year she had held the event, and it was also the biggest display yet.
Displays were different every year, and many pieces were handmade.
"I really enjoy making them. It’s a good way to be creative.
"A lot of Halloween for me is getting resources that are going to the tip and making them into something else."
The end result was the work of many hands, with 12 other friends and family members helping out.
It was also the work of many weeks.
Mapping out the display and making props began in August, before preparations ramped up in September.
She was already thinking ahead to next year’s display, and had an inspiration board, she said.
A 3.6m skeleton would make a fitting future addition to the display.
She hoped to buy one from an overseas supplier and visitors had the option of leaving a donation for the first time this year.
