The weekend 'lock down' at the abandoned asylum featured writing sessions, speakers, historical tours/explorations and paranormal investigations (held late at night in unlit buildings). The paranormal investigations were held by members of the Australian Paranormal Society - accompanied by professional mediums.

The most powerful part of the weekend for me was hearing about the incredibly sad history of the place - apparently many thousands of people died on the asylum's grounds and many inmates experienced experimental treatments like lobotomy etc. 

I sensed, heard, saw, etc no ghosts or other odd phenomena (despite wandering the delapidated buildings way into the early hours) but met lots of imaginative, friendly and wonderfully open-minded writers and APS folk. A great couple of days at one of Australia's most gothic venues.

Cohesion Press run events like this every 6 months or so - if you're a Spec Fic writer of any description these retreats are guaranteed to inspire you by taking you out of your comfort zone. Romanticist writing retreats in quiet, natural settings seem strangely boring now to me!