I discovered Local Guides by accident after posting this campsite picture. Honestly, at the time I was not very interested in being a Local Guide.
Our first post: Camping at Blackbutt Showgrounds, Queensland
We were travelling Australia in a Holden Panel Van, tent camping in many small communities or just ‘’off-grid’’ in the bush (waking up to the sound of Kookaburras).
Tree planting and landscape restoration: Bimbi Park, Cape Otways, Victoria.
It was basically an extended rural Australian exploration, looking for interesting places to visit, ride, or hike.
Moruya Heads beach ride, New South Wales
Hiking Nooldoonooldoona waterhole, Bollabollana Spring, South Australia
Four Mile Hut, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales
I was using Google Maps like a travel blog, not really engaged as a local guide. However, the more we travelled the more I discovered that many of the places we enjoyed either did not appear on Google maps, or if they did they had none or maybe one review.
Red sand dunes camp site, Lake Ballard, Western Australia.
We loved our stays in these small communities and believed they deserved better. So I started focusing on actively participating as a Local Guide.
At the start our reviews emphasised camping, and MTB riding/ hiking/ running. Soon we added travel information centres, and public libraries (a good source of local information and WiFi). Then coffee shops/ bakeries and perhaps oddly council facilities like toilets, BBQs and community parks (important if they had water, this is Australia after all).
After years as a local guide what does the program mean for me?
Being an active local guide means being prepared. I plan our destinations, collect information, check maps to see what is already listed. I try to write reviews from the point of view of other travellers, adding what we liked and pointing out any pitfalls. On our rides and hikes I always carry a camera; photographs are very popular, and I make notes of names and locations, Google Photos information and geolocation is very handy. A good example of all this Ditchman Park, Linville.
Linville is a small village west of Brisbane (population about 430).
Historic Linville Railway Station on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail
Ditchman Park is located in Linville and on the Brisbane Valley Rail trail. From our rides I knew this would be a great overnight camping option for people using the rail trail… but it was not on Google Maps.
Brisbane Valley Rail Trail somewhere south of Coominya on a borrowed bike.
I went through the “add a missing place” edit, and successfully added Ditchman Park. Wrote a detailed review and included photographs (with campgrounds people do like to see what they are in for).
Ditchman Park 24hr campground, Linville, Queensland.
Last January we camped overnight at Linville and the place was pumping!
I am not saying it was packed because of my Google Maps review (it was probably the all-you-can-eat spit roast in the Linville Pub opposite). But I like to believe I contributed a small part to help promote this village and the beautiful Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
Accidental local guide no more.
