MOUNT Panorama may be better known for fast cars, but this Sunday it will be the scene of the city’s first group Pokemon Go hunt.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Since the smartphone app game was launched earlier this month it has taken the world, and Bathurst, by storm.
Pokemon Go merges reality and gaming, with users on a hunt to find Pokemon (digital creatures).
Pokemon are everywhere, and different characters appear in different locations. The more players walk around their region, the more Pokemon they can find.
As users progress further into the game they can engage with fellow players at ‘gyms’ and on hunting missions.
Keen to encourage gamers to get further involved, Bathurst man Samuel Kennedy initiated a Pokemon Go walk around Mount Panorama this Sunday.
“It’s something that’s a bit different and getting people outside and fit and healthy,” he said of the addictive game.
Mr Kennedy said he has been hooked on the game ever since it was released, and he was not the only one.
“I remember playing Pokemon as a kid and I remember when they announced two years ago that they’d make a Pokemon game where you catch Pokemon outside, I thought “I have to have it’,” he said.
“You’re walking down the street and you hear the music [from Pokemon Go] and see other people playing.”
Mr Kennedy said there are Pokemons all over Bathurst, including Mount Panorama.
“There’s a few rare Pokemon up there,” he said.
There’s a few rare Pokemon up there.
- Samuel Kennedy, Pokemon Go walk organiser
Mr Kennedy along with his friend Patrick Kelly are the men behind Sunday’s Pokemon Go walk and they admit they have been overwhelmed with the response.
By midday on Tuesday, more than 150 people had confirmed that they were going to attend the walk, and a further 300 had registered their interest in attending.
“I’m really surprised, I only thought a few friends would come,” Mr Kennedy said.
Anyone interested is welcome to come along to join in the free event.
“It starts at 4.30pm at the bottom of the Mount, near the start line, and then we’ll walk around the Mount,” Mr Kennedy said.
Search for ‘Pokemon Go Bathurst’ on Facebook to find out more about Sunday’s walk.
While the event is free, organisers have invited participants to donate a gold coin to take part. All proceeds will be donated to Daffodil Cottage in Bathurst.
