I had heard the paths in the North East division were less steep (this turned out to be quite wrong) and more appropriate for a street bike (this also turned out to be quite wrong) with solid gravel paths (this also turned out to be quite wrong) - do you see a theme here? Without Street View we often have no idea what to expect and can be disappointed by a place we visit.
If Street View had existed in the North East division of the park then I would have known it largely wasn’t suitable for my bike. Myself and other local people wanting to walk would be prepared and would know the track makeup which range from muddy grassy bog to gravel to flowing sand dune. They would also know what to expect in terms of flora (plants) and fauna (animals). They would know there is an accessible entrance (one!!) and where it was.
The good news is that despite the condition of the tracks and the numbers of trees down after recent storms I was able to complete just under 20km of paths today. By the end of it my phone battery and power bank were just about flat, my bike battery was just about flat and my personal battery was just about flat too.
The only tracks I did not cover were either closed or under water. Interestingly the area with all the white tracks isn’t part of the reserve at all but is in fact a school that isn’t properly represented on Maps. It has a place but its boundaries are not right. I shall gather some evidence via state government mapping sources and report that via the Maps Support Community https://support.google.com/maps/community and provide the evidence for review to get the boundaries of both the park and school corrected.
The data I gathered is currently uploading as I type this and over the coming few days will process and create Street View Photo Paths for everyone to be able to use to understand the park before they visit. Based on the name alone I would have thought it was choked with foreign pine trees but in truth its a scrubby salt seaside mostly native plant forest on sand dunes of crisp white sand with a couple of creeks running through it. The park offers awesome walking and riding opportunities.
Once the data is processed, prospective visitors will know which parts of the park are accessible, where the accessible entrance is and what kind of terrain and paths to expect. This will be a huge boon to my local community. None of the activities I did today give me any points, all they give me is the satisfaction that I know that I’ve improved the lives of others.
Note there are some recent changes to Photo Paths, a path will only be properly processed and published if it corresponds geospatially with an existing path on the Map. Make sure before you start that the path is there on Maps to avoid disappointment. If it isn’t add it and wait for it to be approved.
If you want to watch more, you can check out my tutorial part of the Point Click Guide series on YouTube.
Paul
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