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Geraldine is proving to be a great escape.
A newly-constructed escape room on Wilson St is set to open its freshly-painted doors next month.
Owners Dan and Gina Laird moved to Geraldine four years ago and for the past two years the couple had opened their forest to the public on Halloween.
The forest had been transformed for the one night into a spooky walk with cleverly disguised contraptions, while the couple’s two children had been given the task of frightening about 70 visitors.
Mr Laird had come to realise it was quite a big and difficult task for one night.
He had put at least 40-50 hours of labour into each year’s event, alongside working his full-time job as caretaker at Temuka Primary School.
“It seems a shame to just have it for one night.”
“So it kinda floats our boat that we can do something like this and it is accessible all year long.”
Despite the new business’ name — and the couple’s history with Halloween — there would be no frights in their escape rooms.
Instead the room was a cosy murder mystery setting.
Groups would have an hour to work out the mystery of where the key was hidden so they could escape from the room.
Mrs Laird said the business venture had come about when her son was playing indoor disco mini golf in the kitchen.
“So we were looking for a building or an outdoor area to do that… and then we stumbled on this.
“But obviously this isn’t suitable for mini golf.
“It just popped into our heads — ‘escape room’.”
Mr Laird had not made an escape room before, but he felt it was exactly what Geraldine needed.
“We go out on date nights and there are all these amazing restaurants, but there is like nothing else to do.
“An escape room is a perfect addition.
The business would be complementing those businesses rather than competing with them.
Gelatos, coffee and food could be delivered by restaurants and eateries nearby.
The building had been the location for the The Giant Jersey and the Medieval Mosaic, painted in its signature green.
The green paint would not be going anywhere, as she said everyone knew it as “the big green building”.
“That’s free advertising.”
But she would be adding a gold trim around the windows and matching the outside to the decor inside.
Mrs Laird was an artist with works for sale at Country Rumours and Hello Gelato, which had given the rooms their own boutique style.
She had been supported by two other local artists Gemma May and Abby Peeti.
They both said they felt “pretty humbled” about being a part of the concept.
Mr Laird said not being a franchise, the rooms’ designs could be “crazy”.
“There are no limits.”
Their aim was to have four different rooms so it was not a “one and done” situation.
“We’d want our locals to be able to come back.
“And then we’d recycle the rooms as well.”
Mr Laird said he had “literally too many ideas for Gina’s creativity”.
When everyone’s had enough of the murder mystery it might change around.
“It’s a lot harder work than we realised.”
Mrs Laird said the rooms could be hired out and would make a great spot for birthday parties, work functions, team building, school trips and date nights.
As for their 11-year-old son, Riley, he was ready to start work.
“I need money.”