Yesterday we went on a walk to the Cemetery it was cool. We first went to a house and it was so empty there was this one door in the house it smelt yucky and we wanted to go in but we were to scared to go in all of the houses we looked at smelt bad as. The next place we walked to was an mental hospital were the people go if they have problems in there head to treat them better. Then we went to look for the pool at the school but two car's were there and at one car some one was yelling. the next place we went to was this house in the photo when we found it. It was so run down it was like it had no soul, burned down, covered in bamboo we could see the inside from the outside because it was all burned down. Know who has been there for a long time and in one of the photo's there's like this baby toy one door was and we peeked inside it was around a lot of glass we saw a big hole in the top of the roof and in the room we walked into there was a creepy window I bet it would of been a beautiful home and if it was still fine I would love to live in it. Around the house there was two garages and in one there was a rubbish hole in one of the garages, in the other one it was covered in grass. I think the fire was from the balcony because in the last photo it looks really ruined.
Gosh, it used to be a very busy place once Taylor. There was a hospital up there too. They were called Seaview Hospital and Westland Hospital. There was a nurse hostel, pool, shop, the hall and chapel, a big kitchen, occupational therapy building, office block and much more.It has a huge amount of history. My mum started work in the kitchen there and then went on to be a nurse aid. It is a shame to see it like it is but you have taken some great photos.
ReplyDeleteHi Naomi I didn't know that the hospital's were called that!. thank you I think I have done some great photo's to.
DeleteThank you for commenting on my blog.
Hi Taylor, Great photos!, all in black and white which is my favourite. I love the perspective you have in looking up. I think this used to be the Dr's residence and it was always a grand home. Do you enjoy photography?
ReplyDeleteHi Chris thank you for telling me about the house. I did enjoy the photo's. from Taylor
DeleteHi Taylor
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had fun exploring the old Seaview Hospital grounds. When we first moved to Hokitika the hospital was still being used and the house you photographed was very grand, even if the gardens were a little overgrown. Like you, I always fancied living there.
It was the home of the hospital superintendent. In those days to attract people to live in isolated communities the government departments provided housing. Often the rental was very low.
If you have a look at the panels at the cemetery gates you will see that originally the site was also the Hokitika Goal (jail) and then the hospital was placed on the grounds next to it. The panels will give you the names and dates the hospital operated. Whilst in later years it was a geriatric and mental health facility originally it was a traditional hospital that treated the community.
It was quite the community up there. The hall was used for dances and social occasions, a bowling green, a small shop, a chapel, there was playground equipment next to one of the villas. The grass was neatly mowed and roads kept clear of debris.
It is sad to see it in a declined state now, but with no one living there for a period of time the vandals moved in, took anything that was worth money and destroyed anything that wasn't. I am pleased to see the new owners are now breathing some life back into the place.
Perhaps you could find out more information about the hospital's history and edit your post to add additional information.
Mrs H
Kia ora Taylor,
ReplyDeleteWell done for creating such a detailed blogpost about your spooky walk! It sounds like you had a lot of fun exploring your town, and I really appreciate the positive viewpoint you had while on this walk.
Visiting run down places can be a bit scary, especially when no one has lived in them for a while! It’s a little bit crazy to think how these houses could be in perfect condition if someone had looked after them, however it is still interesting to explore them and see how they have changed over the years. Perhaps you could google the area and see if there are images of these buildings before they got abandoned and/or burnt down. That way you could do a comparison and note the changes that have occurred.
You mentioned how one of the houses was covered in bamboo, and by looking at the photo you included I can see exactly what you mean! Was there any bamboo growing inside the house as well as outside?
Who did you go on this spooky walk with?
How would you describe the bad smell that you smelt in some of the houses?
It would be awesome if you could reply to this comment and let me know!
The images of the houses you have taken do look a little bit spooky, and I really like how you used the black and white filter to add more of an effect to the photos.
Did you take any other photos while on your walk?
Keep up the fantastic blogging Taylor, you're doing an awesome job!
Nga mihi