After 17 years of screams and scares, New Zealand's number one haunted attraction has changed hands.
A scarer at work at the Spookers haunted attraction. Photo: Supplied
Based in the old nurses home at the former Kingseat psychiatric hospital in the south of Auckland, Spookers has been sold to the expanding Armageddon Expo.
Since opening to the public back in 2005, steady streams of thrill seekers have come through its sinister looking doors looking for a fright.
Outgoing managing director Julia Tukiri started Spookers alongside her parents, Beth and Andy Watson, and partner Jamal Tukiri.
She said the idea for the haunted attraction was hatched more than 25 years ago.
"My parents had a farm on State Highway 1 in Marton in the Rangitikei District."
"Mum had been studying agritourism and was trying to think of something they could do on the family farm, so we started the first amazing maze of maize in New Zealand."
"That was really popular. We started doing mazes at night, my dad would scare the staff and so CornEvil was born, which is our haunted horror maze that we did in the past."
After living in the UK, Tukiri returned to Aotearoa and ran a haunted maze attraction in Te Kauwhata.
"We basically outgrew it in three years, so we knew the demand was there for Haunted Horror Entertainment."
A scarer at work at the Spookers haunted attraction. Photo: Supplied
Like any business, Spookers has evolved over time and as demand has grown, so has the level of the scares delivered to its customers.
"We started with just the Haunted House, now we have four attractions that are open including the Woods, Disturbia and Fog."
Tukiri's father Andy Watson is now the mayor of Rangitikei district, so has less time for the business, while she wants to pursue the next adventure.
"I think the memories that are gonna stick with me forever are our amazing, incredible, unique and diverse staff."
At the time of writing, Spookers had 120 scarers on their books, who are all set to be retained as Armageddon Expo take over.
A scarer at work at the Spookers haunted attraction. Photo: Supplied
Armageddon Expo Founder Bill Geradts said he was delighted to be involved, and Spookers fans could rest assured that top-quality scares would continue under new management.
"Spookers as it stands right now is spectacular," Geradts said.
"You walk through it and you think, oh, this has been around awhile, but it's terrifying and amazing and just heart wrenching fun."
"What we're looking to do is is just build upon that rather than take away from it."
Geradts said there were plans underway to add new events.
"We've got a haunted evening tour that we're going to do, Dungeons and Dragons events, basically utilizing the venue a bit more."
"We're also looking to add some themed months like a Dracula month then a necromancer month."
"We'll bring in some new items and and shake things up just a little beyond what's there already."
A scarer at work at the Spookers haunted attraction. Photo: Supplied
Geradt started the Comic Con style Armageddon Expo 27 years ago and puts on regular expos around the country.
He said he was no stranger to moving with the times.
"We've had to adjust (over the years).
"You need to make sure that you're keeping up to date with how things are moving and then what people are interested in like.
"We're doing a touring show next weekend, and we've been fortunate enough to have an actor from Stranger Things on board, and the response is just huge at the moment.
"It's all timing and response, with keeping an option on what happens and how you do things."
For Julia Tukiri, it was the perfect fit.
"I think entertainment in New Zealand at the moment is really popping off.
"People are ready to get out and have fun, and experience new things.
"I think that Armageddon are the best possible purchasers that we could ever have. The synergies between our brand are perfect, and they get it, they get the entertainment industry.
"We couldn't have hoped for better."
As for her plans, Tukiri said the changeover had taken up all her attention, but one thing was for sure, she was proud of what her whānau managed to create at Spookers.
"Yeah, I guess we're a destination you can use. Spookers is a landmark for places that are near here and people don't know where that is, but if you say spookers they go 'oh okay yeah gotcha', it's pretty cool."
