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My Australian Experience

 

I'm sorry that I haven't been to this in a while. But I had to come back to the site to post this story while my memory was still fresh with the details.

Currently, I am in Australia with my family for my cousin's wedding (already happened on August 20th, 2011). My family and I arrived in Brisbane, Australia on August 8, 2011, and then went to Sydney, Australia a week later for the wedding. My cousin and her husband arranged for my family, uncle and aunt (cousin's parents) and other cousin (her brother) to stay at a rented apartment complex (it was really huge and nice) for a week leading up to the wedding and two days after. The apartment was located in Woollahra City in the Bondi area. It was in the perfect place. About a two minute walk to the mall (I think its call the Westcliff Mall; for those who live in Australia, it's the mall with six floors) and about 20 minutes from Bondi beach and the Opera House (where the wedding took place).

Before I start with what happened, I would like to describe the apartment. From the outside facing the street, there is a physiotherapy place and another office. Then if you go to the left side (if you are facing the apartment), this is where the garbage and recycle bins are kept with access from the back of the building for people living upstairs. If you go the right, there are stairs leading to the second floor apartments (there are only two apartments so there is a lot of space). Once you enter the door there is a spiral stairs that lead to the second floor. The second floor has an open space in the front with a bench to work and a room with two beds, televisions, and an Xbox 360 system. Back on the main floor if you walk further in, on the right side there is room #2 with bunk beds, wardrobe and a window ledge where you can sit by the window (there are many of these around the apartment). This room also has a door that connects to master bedroom/bathroom #2. Back in the hallway, if you walk further in, there is a small section off to the left where there are three rooms: room # 3 with two single beds and storage area for clothes and a window bench, bathroom #1, and a closet with the washing machine and dryer. Walking further into the apartment on there is one large room. On the immediate left side is the kitchen with an island table, in the area in the front of the kitchen is the dining table area and the area to the right is the living room area with a sectional sofa and a door leading to the master bedroom.

Initially, when my family, aunt, uncle, two cousins, and I settled in the apartment, I got the second floor all to myself. My brother and sister got the bunk bed room, my cousins got the room to the beside the laundry closet, my mother and aunt shared the bed in the master bedroom, my uncle slept on the floor using the cushions from the window ledge seats around main living/dining room area and my dad slept on one side of the sectional sofa. My cousin's husband was staying at his parents' place, who lived there. Then my aunt's brother (I consider him an uncle also) from England came directly to Sydney with his three kids to join us. I got kicked out of the second floor room when my uncle from England and the two boys took that room. My uncle's daughter took the second bed in the room near the laundry closet when my cousin when to the hotel with the bridesmaids. I got to sleep on the other side of the sectional sofa.

I had the unfortunate luck of getting my period the Monday we arrive at the apartment and I had really bad lower back cramps because of it, so I was getting up two or three times during the night (believe me, it's not fun). This incident happened the Saturday night after my cousin's wedding. We were all back from the wedding, I was finally out of the sari (it's so uncomfortable), and everyone had settled down for the night. I slept like a baby as soon I lay down but I woke up again about 2:30am.

I slowly went to the washroom with my back cramp then came out and decided to make a cup of tea so I can relax a little bit before I go back to go to sleep. Soon after I filled the electrical kettle with water and set it to heat, I started hearing this low jingle sound. I knew it wasn't the kettle because I just set it and you would hear a click sound when it was done. My second thought was that someone's cell phone was going off, so I went to each room (even the second floor) to find the source of the cell phone and/or other electronic ring, but found none. My third thought was that my brain was probably still in a sleepy fog so I was hearing things.

I went back to the kitchen and made my tea and went back to the living room. I decided to watch a movie on my laptop while drinking my tea. At this point in time, not only did the jingle sound get louder but I also heard the sound of horse hooves and it sounded like it was right outside the building. I looked around to see that nobody got up, not even my uncle who was a light sleeper and was sleeping on the floor in the dining room area. I got up from the sofa and went to one of the windows in the dining room and looked outside. This window faced the side of the building where the main entrance is. Next to the building is a connected pathway/park then beside that is a Catholic primary school.

Anyways, I looked out the window to see nothing, but I still heard the jingle and hoof sounds really clearly. I was about to look away and wake my uncle and tell him about the sounds when I saw a black horse drawn carriage come into the park next to the building and stop beside the main entrance. When I say black, I mean everything was black. The two horses were black; the carriage (you know those old Victorian style ones?) was black; and above all the guy that was riding the carriage was dressed in all black. Thinking back, I never saw any of his features but just felt that he was a guy.

Before I continue, I would like to give a small reminder. The outside stairs lead to the main entrance and then once inside there are two sets of stairs. One leading to the apartment that we were renting for the week and the second one leads to the apartment that is rented by an elderly lady for many years. In the time we spend at the apartment, we got to know the elderly lady and she was a healthy 80 year old woman.

Anyway, the guy on the carriage stayed there for a minute and then got off the carriage and opened the carriage doors. Within 30 seconds, the neighbour lady came out of the apartment and headed to the carriage. Just as she was about to get in the carriage, she looked about at me and waved. I don't know if I waved or not because I think I was going to a state of shock at what I was seeing. The difference in the neighbour was that she was not in her formal dress that she usually wears but she wasn't wearing her fancy hat. Also, she had a small mark on her forehead. The neighbour got into the carriage and the carriage drove off and when it got to the other end of the park, it disappeared.

I must have been sitting there for about 15 minutes when my uncle woke up and asked what I was doing up. I told him my back was hurting that was why I sitting on the bench. My uncle told me to go to sleep because everyone was going sightseeing the next day. I turned off the laptop and went to bed without drinking my tea. I was the last one to wake the next morning and I woke to the ambulance leaving. I was informed that the elderly neighbour had slipped and hit her head on the dining table. The owner of the building had come to collect the rent in the morning and when nobody answered and the dog was barking, he opened the door with the master key to find the lady dead. It was then I realized what happened last night.

I told my family what happened last night and the first person to react was my aunt. She took me to the nearby church and blessed me and told me that what I saw was the death carriage and prayed over me to make sure that nothing happened to me or the family.

Update:

I went back and read some of the stories on this site and I found that there are similar stories like what I experienced. Also, this is the first time I witnessed a spirit with my naked eye.

Other hauntings by geetha50

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, geetha50, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Khili180 (3 stories) (78 posts)
 
10 years ago (2014-09-19)
Wowww! Loved this story! Amazing how it all fits! Even the mark on the forhead! And the lady choosing a traditional method to leave! I find it sweet she waved at you! And once again, amazingggg description! I could actually picture everything! So lucky you got to witness something so marvellous! Loved this story! Definitely one of my favourites:)) ) take care!
geetha50 (15 stories) (986 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-28)
Everyone, thank you for all of your comments. Sorry for not getting back to you so soon but we had to travel to peoples places plus prepare for the reception back here in Brisbane.

Yep, I think it just sent chills down my spine when I realized what I just experienced. I still get the chills when I think about what I seen.

It was sad to think about the way the lady died but now that I think about it, I'm glad that I was there to witness it.

When my family was talking about it, I was sleeping on the couch. That was my alarm clock.

I asked about the mark on the head and my family was surprised about that, and they believed me after that. It was confirmed that mark on the head was from the fall.

I wouldn't forget it even if I wanted to. From experiencing the paranormal though feelings to experiencing with the naked eye is something you don't forget easily.

I agree with the whole lot of you about the lady exiting the way she wanted to go. I guess it was her chosen path.

Miracles,
I agree that now that I have settled down, I'm glad that I experienced it and I would never forget it.

Now I can truly feel what many of you go though on a daily basis and hats off to all of you.

Tea was my calming agent. There was so many emotions that went though my body, I was going crazy and believe me, I thought I had a heart attack.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+4
13 years ago (2011-08-27)
Geetha - what an amazing story. Even though this may sound a bit odd, I am so glad you were there to witness this. Most people will go their whole lives and never experience anything like this, but you got one heck of "ghost story." This one is definitely one of my favorites.

As for the old lady? I agree with Daz and Indigo. I don't think it was a Death Coach foretelling her death, which would explain why there were the sound of bells and hooves. I believe this was her ride home. She was going home in the transportation style she wanted, whether it her upbringing or as BlueTurtle said, because it was romantic.

Geetha, as I said before, I'm glad you were there to witness her departure because she wasn't alone. She had you to see her off ❤ Everything happens for a reason. Periods and all LOL 😉
aussiedaz (19 stories) (1565 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-27)
Well put indigo, same thing I was eluding too but you explained it in more depth... Death didn't come knocking for this lady on it's terms, it was her time to go and she was happy to bow out waving at an audience from a old fashion hoarse and buggy... Lol
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-27)
Geetha,
Very cool! I enjoyed reading this experience for the way you described it. It felt like I was there watching this take place just as you had. It also reminded me of one of Rooks stories about the Death Carriage.

Jav
Indigo (263 posts)
+6
13 years ago (2011-08-27)
I find moongrims statement to be quite funny! No offense moongrim, but I have to admit I laughed.

Everyones death experience is different. Why? Well, simply because we, as individuals, are all so different, from the time we choose our parents to the time we die, none of our experiences are exactly the same. Our social backgrounds, religious feelings, personal opinions etc are all different, making each of us what we are at our time to cross back over. Each crossing experience is as individual as we are.
Each crossing for me, I just came out of body and stepped into a backlit fog bank, where I could see many human shadow forms coming to greet me. My grandfathers living crossing experiences were similar but not exact.
This was an older lady that passed. She would have seen and manifested what SHE was supposed to experience. After she realized that she was dead, she would have seen what her upbringing, culture and personal feelings expected to see, and she would have said goodbye to anyone she could manifest to, showing them that she was happy, taken care of and safe, in the manner that she expected others to understand.

Quite possibly in the future they will manifest showing limos, planes, etc, but until it's a common custom they will usually understand what their tradition is or was. When you, yourself cross over, you will be surprised, because it will be similar enough to recognize what's happening to you, but different enough to be incredibly personal at the same time.
aussiedaz (19 stories) (1565 posts)
+4
13 years ago (2011-08-27)
Interesting story geetha, I live in Sydney and know that area quite well, probably go through there 3 times a week... I would presume the elderly woman has lived there all her life and it would make sense to me her waving at you to vindicate her excitement about making her trip to the other side in a style one last time, obviously by those who were there to pick her up... Probably her parents who perhaps owned the hoarse and carriage as well?... When she was a little girl back in the 1940's, hoarse and carriage although getting close to being obsolete was still a part of old Sydney town and it's public transport of the day... Thanks for sharing I really enjoyed your story.
IrishGuy (30 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Amazing account! Visually stunning! The story was so well written I could imagine the scenario so easily. What a vision to behold!
HappySpirit (187 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Am commenting on Moongrin's query why Death Coaches are often perceived as old fashioned black horse and carriages rather than more modern conveyances such as a black hearse - which would be more logical for current sightings. This is an interesting point. My opinion: I believe that what we are really seeing in these instances is subtle energy without form and our mind automatically interprets these energetic events according to symbols that make sense to us. An old fashioned black carriage with black horses, or a dark figure in a black cloak and top hat (another common sighting associated with death) are well known symbols of death in modern culture, probably due to the continuing popularity of Charles Dicken's and other 19th century writers, not to mention movies that include these images. I am betting that people from other cultures - not familiar with Western death symbols - would see something else. What is actually seen is less important than the energetic event taking place - that geetha correctly perceived an elderly woman's soul leaving this world for the next. Great story.
Moongrim (2 stories) (871 posts)
+3
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
The Death Coach.
It is supposed to be silent, and as a portent of death for either yourself or a close relative. Strange that they've never upgraded to a more modern version of a gas powered version.

Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Coach
hippiechick83 (5 stories) (112 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Oh-My-Stinking-GOSH! Mini heart attack at the end when you found out the lady had died...<sigh> I'm ok now. YIKES! This was freakin' freaky to say the least. Whoa! 😨
DragonStorm80 (1 stories) (440 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
This is such an awesome account geetha! Like others have said I am sure finding out about the neighbour lady after what you saw would have been such a shock to your system!

Thank you so much for sharing this, I really enjoyed reading this 😊
PrettyInPain (3 stories) (153 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
I'm jumping on the positive bandwagon here. What an absolutely incredible, yet frightening, experience! I am very intrigued. I love how even though the horse and carriage could be perceived as ominous, the lady was clearly just fine and just had a fabulous way of making an exit. I added this to my favorites.

And by the way, I am obsessed with tea! Though, I don't think a million cups of chamomile could knock anyone out after what you experienced! I don't blame you for not drinking it after this. 😨
bacchaegrl (506 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Love it! Everything fits so nicely. How interesting. You must be very sensisitve to see something like that. I'm sorry about the lady, however. I'm glad she waved. It really seems she felt she was going to a better place.
sarahmariacecilia (3 stories) (105 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Wow, what an experience! The mark on her forehead, how she waved goodbye to you...wow. Just wow. This is going straight into my favorites. Thanks so much for sharing this... And as your first spirit sighting! 😁
BlueTurtle (3 stories) (176 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
This is very cool, it must have been horrifying and exciting at the same time to see something like this! I wonder if this is true for all people who pass away, or if they have their own custom way of passing on. For the old lady, I'm sorry that she died in that way, but she got to go in style. It's so mysterious but romantic in a way.
Indigo (263 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Next time I check out, I want to try the horse carriage ride! 😁
Or maybe a spirit pony! This sounds like a very elegant way to cross over! It's also great that you saw her smiling and waving. She was telling you goodbye and letting you know she was ok!
Alyssa11 (3 stories) (12 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
Wow! What an experience to witness that. Love this story. Something I bet you'll never forget.
iistormage (1 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-26)
This sent chills down my spine. It is so awesome to me that some can see things that are only told in books. This was a good story. I enjoyed it a lot! Thanks for sharing it! (: 😁
DARKNESS (3 stories) (2022 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-25)
geetha: This was an awesome account and I think I know the area you are talking about, although I live in Perth I have been to Sydney a few times. Do you think the jingle sound was realated to the carriage or something else to do with it? And the lady looked back at you? The mark on the forehead do you think this is the mark of when she fell? Sorry bout all the questions, I just find this account amazing! Great story!

Thanks for sharing.

Dan
Morticia1 (6 stories) (162 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-08-25)
Great story and yep defintely got the heebie jeebies reading it! Had to be a freaky occourance and the fact that you didn't realise what youd seen until the next morning when the poor lady was found must have freaked you out even more!

And have to say am an aussie but have never heard of Westcliff Mall but then I'm not familiar with Sydney as I'm from Victoria 😊
maddie152 (1 stories) (7 posts)
-2
13 years ago (2011-08-25)
i wish that I got to c that... Seariously it would b fun 2 c...well 2 meh
taz890 (12 stories) (1380 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-08-25)
geetha wow! What an experience! And your first too.

This might sound odd but personaly I think that the old lady had a great way of being taken to the otherside and you were lucky to see this too.

Its sad to think that she was alone when she passed but the way you describe it it does not sound like she would have suffered and she was ok with it, even taking her best hat with her.

Thank you for sharing
Carl
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
+2
13 years ago (2011-08-25)
geetha: Holy crap, girl!...You're story gave me major goosebumps 😆...Yes, there was a story on here not too long ago about "the death carriage" (I have to say, your account is much more believable)...So, let me get this straight: you didn't realise what you'd witnessed, until you found out about the old lady?...I bet it freaked you out, huh? 😆...

Great story, and well told... Thank you for posting such a spooky experience... Definately faves bound! ❤

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