People can now plan their adventures in Western Australia's national parks and reserves at the touch of a button, following the release of a new geo-referenced map in the WA Parks Foundation's Smart Park map series.
The iconic Kalbarri National Park, home to the brand new Kalbarri Skywalk, is the most recent location to be made available on the app, allowing visitors to easily access information on facilities, trails, lookouts and other points of interest within the park.
Following a successful pilot of the app in Karijini National Park, these new maps make it easier than ever for visitors to navigate their way around some of Western Australia's most popular parks, offline and in real-time.
The maps include information on camping and picnic areas, lookouts, parking, swimming, toilets, walk trails and their classifications, wheelchair access, Wi-Fi, roads, tracks and safety information.
Once the map has been downloaded, it can be used without a network connection. The smart phone or tablet's built-in GPS will show the location on the map and let visitors know where they are. Visitors can add placemark pins, photographs, and measure distances on the app.
The 'Smart' Park maps series is delivered by the WA Parks Foundation in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The development of the map series is sponsored by BHP.
The Smart Park maps can be downloaded via the Avenza Maps app from either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, and instructions can be found on the WA Parks Foundation website.
As stated by Environment Minister Stephen Dawson:
"Kalbarri National Park is just one of the spectacular destinations that will be part of this new and innovative series.
"We hope to eventually have these maps in all 101 of the State's national parks and reserves to enhance visitor experience and encourage more people to get out and visit these destinations.
"Many of WA's network of parks have no or limited network coverage and this map series provides access to geo-referenced PDF park maps for offline use on iOS, Android, smartphones and tablets."
As stated by WA Parks Foundation chairperson Kerry Sanderson:
"Encouraging people to experience and enjoy Western Australia's treasure trove of national parks is one of the main aims of the Foundation.
"Our national parks are a wonderful natural resource, with so much to offer in terms of their scenic splendour, ancient geology and biodiversity.
"The Smart Park maps are a practical aid in making it easier for people to access the parks, some of which are vast and remote, and to confidently navigate their features.
"Twenty of the State's most popular parks have been prioritised for mapping, with more to follow.
"Our State Government partner, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is pivotal in helping the Foundation towards achievement of this goal.
"We are very fortunate, also, to have the strong support of BHP, our corporate partner in this initiative. This financial and other assistance is greatly appreciated."
Smart Park maps:
- Download the Avenza Maps app from either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to access your Smart Park maps.
- Search for Karijini Smart Park Maps in the Avenza store to download. Its free! Tell us your thoughts, ideas or feedback or nominate your favourite WA national park by visiting http://www.ourwaparks.org.au/resources/kalbarri-smart-park-map
