For our anniversary last month, my wife and I decided to travel to McLaren Vale for a wine and cheese adventure. We couldn't resist stopping by
Chateau Tanunda, the largest and oldest Chateau in Australia (established in 1890). Functioning today as a cellar door and luxury venue for private events such as weddings, apparently the Chateau is reputed to have at least one resident spirit (not of the alcoholic variety!)...
I have researched this place and have been unable to find much information about the alleged spirits which haunt it. Granted, inside there is an eeriness to the place - and you can see why it would be a great "home" for a ghost or two. My wife and I didn't encounter anything out of the ordinary during our trip, but it would be nice to perhaps be able to go on the tour (we had missed it by half an hour when we arrived) which would have given us access to more of the building as we were only limited to the grounds and cellar door.
But, I took plenty of photos (no faces in the windows, I'm afraid - no ghostly wisps of smoke or even a single "orb"):
The view as we approached the Chateau. A long, period driveway (very bumpy) and the striking vastness of the Chateau as you topped the small hill was breath-taking:
The facade of (what I believe to be) the Eastern Wing near the cellar door:
An old smokestack set just a few meters away from the main building. This was eerie enough on its own without a spook!:
This beautiful arbor was a highlight - framing the croquet lawn:
This old gum tree was also a bit surreal and seemed to have a strange energy around it. Perhaps not significant at all, but it would be interesting if it had a colourful history:
These smaller buildings, just a short distance from the main building, were obviously newer constructs. We assume they were once servants' quarters - I'm sure we would have found out on the tour:
A view of the rear of the building:
This odd little annex was set off from the main building a short ways and was located right next to the railroad tracks. I don't know if it was perhaps a station of some kind - again, the tour would have been beneficial:
And, of course, a shameless selfie in front of the Eastern Wing:
