JOADJA ADVENTURE

October – I’m off on another adventure today.

Heading to Joadja Creek a ghost town out past Sydney NSW in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire.

Joadga was a mining town between 1870–1911 and home to around 1,100 people, many of whom were skilled immigrants from Scotland. It was connected to the nearby town of Mittagong by a narrow gauge railway that terminated adjacent to the main Southern Railway line in Mittagong. The town existed to mine oil shale from which kerosene was extracted by the Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Co.
 By 1911 the process was superseded by conventional kerosene production from oil and oil shale mining became uneconomical. The town became deserted as inhabitants relocated in search of work. The property was auctioned off that year to a private buyer.
The township is still recognisable, despite the state of its ruins. The sandstone school, the mine, houses, refinery and even the cemetery remain as a testament to the community that lived in the valley more than a century ago.
Local legend is that the old town is haunted by at least two ghosts and it has recently been visited on numerous times by several local and NSW based paranormal groups. I have not heard any reports of ghostly activity of late but have seen a few photographs of the place.
My camera and video recorder are packed – I’m travelling light. I don’t intend to stay overnight camping as some of my other investigators have decided to do. It has a few things that scream “crazy idea” to me! For one they are camping, it’s going to be freezing cold overnight and worst of all – there could be snakes, ticks and leeches!
Tropical strength DEET spray is in my bag and I’m in long socks up to my knees, covered shoes and jeans – bugger the ghosts – it’s the ticks that frighten the hell out of me but, hey, welcome to the Australian bush!
I usually get a bit of a vibe before I head out on an investigation. Maybe that a ghost will be joining me on my adventure or that I need to be extra careful -  As I was standing making myself a final coffee before being picked up for the road trip I thought to myself ”where is my vibe for today?” and at that moment a roll of hand towel sitting on the breakfast bar flew off onto the floor and unrolled the length of the room.
Ok...cryptic answer from the ghosties?
Note to self: hand towel – unravelling. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
A few nights ago I dreamt of travelling to Joadja.
Angela and I were in the car heading up the gravel road when we arrived at the entrance of the property.
We had to go over a cattle grid and I could see a row of ovens on the right hand side in long grass.
As we turned into the main road leading up to the house a ghost family stood there looking at us. A dishevelled and worn out looking mother with a dirty faced child on her hip - and next to her stood her pipe smoking husband, face blackened and filthy pants on with no shirt. They all needed a bath and a good haircut and had that vacant look of not having enough energy to bother about anything.
They watched us pass in the car as time seemed to slow and we watched each other for what seemed like a minute but was probably only a few seconds.
Then I awoke from my dream.
What will today hold? I ask for protection from my spirit friends close to me and for safe travels for all who are joining us.