By all accounts, the town of Marton, New Zealand, is a real place. A quick check on Google Maps confirms its existence, and its Wikipedia page provides the expected details of a quiet, suburban town. Given that, you might fairly ask why I would bother questioning its existence—or discussing it at all. Well, the short answer is that Marton is a very, very strange place.
Marton is situated in the Rangitīkei District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region on New Zealand’s North Island. Founded in 1866, it was originally named Tutaenui after a local stream. Three years later, the name was changed to Marton to honor the birthplace of explorer James Cook. A curious tidbit from the town’s history is that the Māori word “Tutaenui” was often mispronounced as a similar word meaning “Big Dung,” which supposedly inspired the name change. Marton is full of quirky details like this—but more on that later.
What really put Marton “on the map,” so to speak, is the r/Marton subreddit, moderated by a small group of locals. Recently, the sub has gone viral for its bizarre content, which includes accounts of hauntings, shadow people, poisoned water, a sinister pet food factory, missing persons, strange lights in the sky, an inordinate number of dead cats, insect plagues, chemtrails, a nefarious spy base, mind control, unexplained deaths, and a host of other unsettling occurrences.
It would be easy to dismiss these claims as internet trolling, an alternate reality game (ARG), or someone’s twisted idea of humor. And maybe it is. But that doesn’t make it any less strange or compelling. The deeper you dig, the stranger it gets. For instance, one of the subreddit’s principal claims—that the town’s water supply is tainted—has some basis in reality. Several corroborating newspaper reports document water quality issues as far back as 2017, with residents insisting the problem has persisted for decades. The Rangitīkei District Council has been evasive, offering explanations ranging from heavy rainfall to over-logging to industrial pollution. Of course, r/Marton has its own theories, linking the issue to the Purina factory, a local spy base, and even mind control.
Perhaps the most alarming claims from the subreddit involve hauntings and paranormal activity. According to local lore, the town is teeming with shadow people who call out to residents in the voices of their family and friends. Residents are advised never to answer and to remain indoors. Protective measures reportedly include hanging fidget spinners, old CDs, or other reflective objects around the home.
Paranormal activity is said to peak around the summer and winter solstices, with the worst incidents occurring during daylight savings time. On these occasions, residents reportedly follow a strict curfew to avoid the ominous threat of “reconditioning.” One moderator posted the following unsettling message:
r/marton
Posted by u/chalky-leary, 1 year ago
DST Apr 2021
“DST ends at 3:00 am on Sunday, 4 April 2021”
this is the bad one and we’ve been seeing things happen earlier than usual, plenty of traffic at night to TM
- Close all curtains, doors
- Be asleep or pretend during
- Ignore feelings of movement, inertia, disorientation, nausea, nothing will help
- Do not answer even if they are familiar to you
in my guts I feel this will be a bad one and if anyone has a spare room I would be interested
see you all after god willing
Typically, after these paranormal DST incidents, the community gathers for a potluck-style party with music to celebrate. However, a recent moratorium on these gatherings was declared after a karaoke DJ known as “Dick P” allegedly consumed tainted strudel (supposedly poisoned by Freemasons who had loaned them the use of their lodge). Under the influence, he brandished a ceremonial sword from the wall and began threatening people before ultimately throwing himself onto a bonfire, suffering burns over 90% of his body. He did not survive.
Dick P at the Wind Farm
Despite the eerie and bizarre posts, much of the subreddit consists of everyday town business—garbage cleanups, items for sale, gardening advice, and other mundane topics. What makes r/Marton so fascinating is how matter-of-factly these strange claims are presented, as if such events are just part of life in Marton. Nothing about it screams outright hoax, aside from the inherent absurdity of it all.
As you might imagine, the sub has become inundated with outsiders. Many are confused, bombarding the forum with questions, while others have joined in on the fun, impersonating Marton residents and posting their own bizarre stories. New Zealand comedian and mock journalist Guy Williams visited the town and produced a less-than-flattering mockumentary, poking fun at its paranormal reputation. In one segment, he interviewed a group of eight women paranormal investigators over a séance involving chicken and chips. The women were not amused, though the show only fueled more curiosity.
The community response has been surprising. While there was plenty of irritation, the overall tone of the sub remained unchanged. Most posters seemed annoyed by the outside attention and ignored it. The user u/chalky-leary, one of the most prolific members and an occasional moderator, has been particularly vocal about intrusive outsiders, with a special disdain for Guy Williams. In fact, continued harassment prompted him and a few other core members to create a new private Marton subreddit, where access can only be granted by attending a community meeting in person. The original sub remains active, though its activity has slowed, leaving outsiders just as curious as ever about what’s really happening in Marton.
So, what exactly is going on in Marton? Is it a hoax, an ARG, a tourism stunt, or an elaborate and glorious troll? I’d like to believe it’s a joke—one fitting the quirky, dry humor New Zealanders are known for, akin to Flight of the Conchords. Some clues may lie in the town’s Wikipedia page, which is unusually well-edited for a town of only 5,500 residents.
Take, for example, u/chalky-leary, one of the central figures in the Marton saga. According to the Wikipedia page, the current mayor of Rangitīkei (which governs Marton) is Andy Watson. However, if you follow the link to the mayoral election history, you’ll find that a previous mayor was Robert “Chalky” Leary. Could this be the same person as u/chalky-leary, an imposter, or just another layer of the ever-growing mystery that is Marton?
UPDATE:
A while back, a reader named Crystal reached out to me through my website with some intriguing insights into the r/marton mystery. After diving into a few rabbit holes, we concluded that u/chalky-leary was an imposter account, seemingly created to lampoon the real Chalky Leary. But why?
Our best guess is that a disgruntled Marton resident held some kind of grudge against him. While we could only speculate on what might have sparked this resentment, Crystal may have uncovered the identity of the disenchanted Martonian (Martonite?).
As we combed through the subreddit, it became evident that much of the banter was taking place between just a handful of accounts. We suspected that a single individual was behind multiple personas—including u/chalky-leary. The most likely culprit? u/FlowershowGuy, AKA John Whittaker.
A deeper look into Whittaker revealed that he had a surprising amount of time on his hands. He currently manages at least eight pages and produces an astounding volume of content. Most of it revolves around arts and crafts, local culture, and an extensive collection of random footage from Marton and its surroundings. After absorbing a substantial amount of his work, we couldn’t help but notice a striking resemblance to the dry wit and offbeat weirdness that defines the r/marton subreddit.
Which brings us to the final question: Why impersonate Chalky Leary? What possible offense did he commit to warrant the ire of FlowershowGuy?
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
