The Tour: Auras for Finding the Ghosts of K Road @ ADA Mesh Cities

This article documents the waypoints of the tour of Karangahape Road titled Finding the Ghosts of K Road being presented as part of the ADA Mesh Cities Symposium in Auckland in September 2014.

You don’t have to be in Auckland to experience this work. You can also use the app with the landmark building images in this blog post.

For a sneak preview of some of the historic photographs, you can check out the photo essay. To hear about this and similar projects, I will be participating in a panel at ADA Mesh Cities on Sunday 14 September – Performing the City.

There is also a printable version of the map for Finding the Ghosts of K Road.

Technical specifications

Finding the Ghosts of K Road uses augmented reality, and to view it you must have an internet enabled mobile device running iOS
or Android (tablet or smartphone). You must also have the “Aurasma” app installed.
To install Aurasma:


• Search for and download the “Aurasma” app in Google Play or the Apple App Store.
• 
Launch the app, click on the “A” symbol at the bottom of the screen, then click on the
magnifying glass icon.
• In the search box, type in “bytetime” and click “Search”.
 Select the channel titled “bytetime” then click “Follow” to follow the channel.

Now you are ready to view the work. When you are in front of one of the building landmarks 
documented in the ‘Finding the Ghosts of K Road’ map or this blog post, click the target icon (bottom centre of the screen) and hold your device in front of the frame to watch it animate. Any time you want to view the work in future, simply launch Aurasma, and it will be ready to go.

Note: make sure you are connected to the Internet before 
holding your device up to the building ‘clue’ from this blog.

A big thanks to Edward Bennett for his assistance to develop the waypoints and for creating the map pictured here.

Here is your stop-by-stop guide to Finding the Ghosts of K Road, have fun!

Begin at Artspace: go west along south side
1. National Bank – 345 Karangahape Rd (7-A4489)

2. North view (Rising Sun Pub) (4-2353)

3. North view. Newton Arcade (4-2354 )

4. Hellaby’s corner – 469 Karangahape Rd (4-1933)

5. Garret’s Buildings – 473 Karangahape Rd ( 4-2357)

6. M.J.Bennett Ltd – 529 Karangahape Rd (4-2358 )

7. Hereford Buildings – 537 Karangahape Rd (4-2359)

8. View of Newton Gully ( 4-1962)

Cross to north side

9. Star Hotel – 382 Karangahape Rd (4-2382)

10. Church of the Epiphany- 358 Karangahape Rd (4-4171)

11. Gundry Street (4-1932 )

12. Pink Pussy Cat Club

13. Purchas Block – 444 Karangahape Rd (4-1939)

14. South View with 1878 Post Office. (4-2377)

15. Newton Hotel (4-2374)

16. Bon Marche Chambers – 322 Karangahape Rd (4-2373)

17. ANZ – 312 Karangahape Rd (4-2252)

18. 1973 Newton Post Office

19. Hannah’s Shoe Shop

20. Pitt Street Church and School (4-946)

21. Pitt Street Intersection (AWNS-19081015-2-3)

Cross to south side

22. Mercury Theatre

23. Pitt Street Buildings (1-W883)

24. Queen Street intersection (AWNS-19081015-2-2)

25. Missing shops (1-W424)

26. Tivoli Picture Theatre (1-W1606)

27. Partington’s Windmill ( 4-8560)

Cross to north side

28. Cemetery Corner (1-W1683)

29. Baptist Tabernacle (4-3545)

30. Rendell’s Department Store (35-R29)

31. St Keven’s House ( 370-9316)

32. View of the Waihorotui Gully ( 4-2744)

33. Myers Kindergarten (236-7522)

Through to Aotea Square