This was published 15 years ago
GPS and travelling: get lost without getting lost
Get lost ... or don't. GPS units can do more than find a point on a map.Credit: Fiona Morris
For the directionally challenged among us, satellite navigation has become a valued friend (and sometimes a relationship saver), guiding us to our destination without the need for paper maps and arguments. Portable satellite units, or global positioning systems (GPS), have been snapped up by Australians and are used to find towns, streets, attractions, airports and hotels.
Yet GPS units can do much more than find a point on a map. They can provide guided tours, facts, background information and travel tips as you drive, walk or cycle around.
By downloading the additional information to your own GPS unit before you leave home or hiring a pre-programmed unit from a local tourist centre, you can use a "GPS tour" to explore a city or attraction.
You might use it as an alternative to a traditional tour or guide book, or an addition. For example, you might use a GPS tour while driving around a wine region. As you drive, following the directions provided by the GPS unit, you can listen to facts and tips about where you are, what wines to taste at an upcoming winery or the history of the area.
GPS tours are still in their infancy in Australia, however a trial has begun in the Fleurieu Peninsula region of South Australia. Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism's Roslyn Becker says units can be hired from local visitor centres to use on a tour of the Fleurieu Way.
"That [route] is very well signposted but the purpose of doing this is so that people can appreciate more about the region as they travel around, instead of having their heads stuck in a map all the time," she says. "It gives you options, so you can stay on the route or you can turn off to go and see something."
GPS touring is more readily available overseas, particularly in the US. Several companies produce guides for download from the net; some tourist boards and attractions have their own. For example, the Oklahoma City Zoo is one of several in the US to introduce Zoo Ranger GPS-based guides. The GPS units are rented for $US9.95 (about $15) and include audio, video, photos and behind-the-scenes information about zoo creatures.
Because the unit pinpoints exactly where you are, you can explore at your own pace and make choices along the way.
The company that produces Zoo Ranger also has tours for US national parks and historic areas. Its site, barzadventures.com, has demonstration excerpts to give you an idea of what to expect.
One thing to be wary of - apart from the annoying voices on some of the tours - is the commercial deals behind the information. A GPS tour might strongly encourage you to visit a certain winery or restaurant because that business is sponsoring the tour. You might also find that not all tours are available for all brands of GPS units.
Garmin seems to be the most popular technology for GPS tours in the US, although there are tours available for several other brands as well.
Some people use GPS units to create their own trips to share with others, through sites such as everytrail.com. Outdoor and travel enthusiasts can use an iPhone or other technology to record their movements - from cycling to cross-country skiing - and upload the information to the site for others to see. The data produced is very detailed: distance, average speed, elevation and satellite images.
You can also use a GPS unit to practise your language skills as you travel by switching languages. One company has even started producing GPS tours in sign language.
LOSING TOUCH?
Is technology enhancing our travels or robbing us of the joy of exploration? Getting lost can be a nightmare but it can also create some of the best experiences, taking you to places you didn't know existed or leading to unusual encounters.
Hooking up to technology can mean less personal contact - such as stopping to ask for directions or asking a local for their recommendations on what to see.
Travellers are already divided into those who find GPS technology invaluable and those who refuse to use it. For example, a motorcycle touring enthusiast recently posted this on an online forum: "Truth is that I would rather be lost than use a GPS. Touring motorcyclists are supposed to get lost. That is half the fun of taking off down a road that is not even on a map but looks like it might go where you think you want to go."
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