Childhood dream becomes reality
Fan of the scare circuit sets up his own horror house
The average person’s nightmare is something of dreams for Tauranga man Jonty Climo. Now this dream has become a reality as he opens the doors of his own haunted house attraction in the Tauranga CBD.
Climo went to his first horror house when he was just a kid.
The adrenaline and excitement hooked him in immediately and he knew from then he wanted to run something similar.
After years of getting around New Zealand’s scare circuit at places like
Spookers and Fear Factory, he joked to a friend about the possibility of opening their own similar attraction.
Sixteen months of hard work later, the 20-year-old opened the doors of
Tauranga’s first live-action haunted maze attraction, Infamy, on Grey St on Friday. The new premises have themed rooms and are open on seven days a week with varying hours.
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● building, painting and designing characters to fill the project and employed several Year 13 drama students among others to act the parts.
The staff were great at “staying in character” which added to the experience for punters, he said.
After weeks of Facebook and radio publicity, huge crowds turned up to experience the new attraction.
The terrified screams justified all the hard work, he said. “It did seem to be quite scary for people.”
He said the business was ticking along, with staff sometimes spotted on Grey St giving people a scare and inviting them inside.
“It’s been received really well.” Climo said there was no better time to open a business as locals were looking for fun things to do in their own back yards.
“We are just a bunch of people who love acting and we can give the community some fun while doing it.”
Those who get too scared during the tour through the dark and narrow passages in the house can scream the safe word “bailout” to be escorted out and added to the “wussed out” list.
Cost: Adults $35, students $30, family deal $99
Location: 111 Grey St, Tauranga