Murder Mystery Cruise | 3 Course Lunch

A murder mystery cruise is heading out from Newcastle Harbour on Sunday 13 September, and this one puts you right in the middle of the story rather than just watching it from your seat. The whole thing is built around a three-course lunch, so you're eating and drinking while you work out who's lying. The setting changes with every voyage — a glamorous gala, a haunted manor, the Wild West, or the roaring 1920s — and professional actors lead the room to piece together the clues and expose the killer. No two stories are the same, so if you've done one before, the next one will be a different setup.

This particular adventure is an old Hollywood mystery set around Powar Film Studios' newest release. The plot kicks off when studio boss W. Anton Powar fails to turn up at the film's pre-premiere party, and it's up to the guests to follow the clues and interrogate the suspects to find out what really happened. There's an optional Old Hollywood glamour dress-up encouraged, so if you've got a tuxedo or a vintage gown gathering dust, this is a good excuse to bring it out.

On the food and drink side, the voyage includes a Newcastle Harbour cruise, a glass of bubbly on arrival, and a three-course lunch, with a licensed onboard bar running throughout. You'll be on the MV Calmer, departing from the Queens Wharf Ferry Terminal on Wharf Road. The cruise leaves at 12:00pm and returns by 4:00pm, with check-in open from 11:30am, so you've got plenty of time to get settled before we set off. Tickets are A$131.10 per person for general admission, which covers the cruise, the meal, and the mystery.