Gateway 4WD - Mapping and Other Links

A general comment about map use is that if you come across a mistake/amendment on a map, then don't hesitate to inform the publisher. All cartographers will welcome feedback on amendments, and their products should have details on providing such feedback.

My professional background is in cartography, and as such, I still use paper maps for I was navigating in the Gateway 4WD group I'm in (although, apart from a trip to Beachport, SA, all the 4WD trips I've been on have been in Victoria).
It's worth noting that there are some quite professional paper maps out there that are great for 4WD use (and when 4WD'ing or on 2WD holidays, I will take along maps and guides from various publishers).
Probably the main reason I find a GPS of use (whether 2WD or 4WD) is due to lack of adequate signage at road intersections.
And when I do use a GPS for navigation, it is to get the UTM co-ordinates off it, so that I can then look at a topographic/similar map with the MGA94/GDA94 grid on it, to use those co-ordinates to locate myself on the map. My main use for GPS these days is for 'asset data capture' (eg. walking tracks and roads) to pass on to Melway and Vicmap with the aid of GIS software. Software/apps such as Memory Map and the maps available on it has it's uses here.
GPS comes its own when in remoter areas (eg. in Victoria, the Wimmera-Mallee or High Country) and not so much or the streets of big cities or 2WD roads.

More recently (2024), I've been using Memory Map as well on a road trip holiday to NSW, great when you need detail (and it records the GPS tracks as well), and also NSW PDF topographic maps. Unfortunately, the road classification in the latter needs improvement and the latest edition no longer differentiates between sealed or unsealed roads.
However, paper maps - especially for the big cities - are still first preference, although sadly there aren't as many these days.

See also my KMZ samples page for what I have been up to with creating KMZ files for Google Earth.

Examples of relying too much on GPS can be found at the following articles:
And then there are the driverless/automated cars, see this as an example for what happens when something goes wrong: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54175359  and: https://www.theage.com.au/national/push-for-new-body-to-probe-half-human-vehicle-crashes-20220323-p5a76p.html

You can also try the simple quiz at: https://geoawesomeness.com/geo-psycho-test-are-you-gps-dependent/ to see how GPS-dependent you are.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if a 'Carrington Event'-style solar storm (as happened around 1860) took place again now, knocking out the GPS/GNSS satellites. Or, what if World War 3 broke out? (given the current events in Ukraine, Middle East and potential events in Taiwan as I type this)
At least the US Navy has been aware of this, see: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/u-s-navy-resumes-celestial-navigation-training-04042016/
I would love to see younger people (in particular) struggle as they had to learn 'from square one' how to read a paper map and navigate using it 8-)
Of course, it should be noted that if you can't navigate OK using decent paper maps then you are not a 'real man' 8-)

As well as the links below, I also have a list of more general mapping, aerial photos, and spatial sciences / online mapping links at: https://johncleverdon.neocities.org/spatial.htm

Mapping - Government - Victoria
Mapping - Government - Federal
Mapping - Government - Interstate
Mapping - Private
 Guides / Tracknotes
Parks, Forests and Reserves
Historic/Heritage sites
Tourist Organisations

Other


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Please feel free to ring me on 0428 533 792 (business hours) or 03 5987 1535 or email me if you have any further comments or feedback.

Web page produced by John Cleverdon 2005-2024