The Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland is famous for its rich history and beautiful waterfalls, but scratch beneath the surface and visitors recite tales of the paranormal and things that go bump in the night.
Many buildings, dating back to the turn of the 20th century, have a reputation for being haunted.
Ghost stories are common among locals, though sceptics have more practical explanations.
The Yungaburra Hotel, built in 1910, is the second-largest timber hotel in the southern hemisphere.
Hotel supervisor Kaylene Pattison said there had been many instances of unexplained activity at the pub.
"Our operations manager stayed one night, she was all alone and heard classical music but could not find the source of the music.
She said doors would not budge sometimes when rooms were being cleaned, despite being unlocked.
"So, we walk away and say, 'OK Maud, we won't go into that room yet' and when we come back, they open freely," she said.
She said room 26 received the most complaints.
"I haven't seen anything with my own eyes, but I have heard lots of stories about room 26.
"We get people staying there and then asking to change rooms."
Room 17 in Malanda
Room 17 at the Malanda Lodge Motel also has a reputation for things that go bump in the night.
According to local folklore, the motel is on the site of a former abattoir, the scene of a horrific death when one of the meat workers fell into a vat of boiling oil.
Owner Eunice Sexton recalled the night a brave bride-to-be had a scare during the night, and it wasn't pre-wedding jitters.
"She didn't want to sleep in that room alone."
Three ghosts for the price of one
Spirits are rumoured to tinker through the tea rooms, Ada's frock shop and the old newspaper bureau at the Herberton Historical Village.
Jodie Osbourne works in the tea rooms, formerly the Bakerville pub.
Ms Osbourne believes the site is haunted by Albertina the old publican.
"She comes into the kitchen and we have had items that have been flung across the room," she said.
"We hear footsteps walking around when nobody else is here and we hear the sounds of the old tills."
Ms Osbourne said it wasn't a frightening or angry presence.
"She just wants to be noticed," she said.
Albertina has other-worldly company in the village, according to manager Debbie Kuether.
"We had some ghostbuster people come and stay the night with their equipment," she said.
"In the tea rooms and the frock shop they supposedly found a lady and in the main street where the Herberton Times printer is, there is an old gentleman who wanders around the street."
Other places across the Tablelands – including the Ravenshoe Hotel, the Garradunga Hotel and the Mt Molloy National Hotel – also claim to be haunted.
Alternative explanations
Australian Skeptics executive officer Tim Mendham said there were other explanations, especially when it came to older buildings.
"Older buildings also let in draughts and the cold, there are a whole lot of reasons."
Mr Mendham said having a resident "ghost" in a pub or accommodation was not always a bad thing.
"A lot of things seem to move, especially in old pubs, where suddenly a glass drops off a wall or a chair moves across the floor," he said.
He said he had been on ghost tours.
"They are lots of fun and there's no harm being done but there are always alternative explanations," he said.
"It may be disappointing but unfortunately it's probably the truth."
