Geoscience Australia

 

Sincere thanks to Geoscience Australia for providing me with 125 topographical maps. I ordered maps with a scale of 1:250.000 for my "Race around Australia" expedition.

 

All 125 coastal maps, sorted by states

 

Those are quite a bit! I was planning to unfold all of them and shape the outline of Australia in 1:250.000, but it was too windy in my backyard…and I was not sure if my calculation of the needed space was right

 

I cut all maps down in the caostal areas only, which reduced the weight from more than 6 kg to about 1 kg for all of Australia..

 

chaotic scene after a skype call over the maps with experienced WA paddler Les Allan 

 

As I did on my circumnavigations around New Zealand, I place these crucial navigation tools on my front deck in an Aquapac. Without such detailed maps I’d literally and figuratively be lost.

Being coastal travelers, sea kayakers are interested in the smallest details of the terrain they navigate each day. Each morning I study the map as if I’m cramming for an exam: where are the best beaches to land, are there miles of unbroken cliffs, mud flats, mangroves, a forest with a stream for fresh water, a nearby town for food, or some other feature to consider? Also I check to see if there contours in the coast that I can tuck behind if the wind changes direction? In short, every geographical nuance is important. That’s why I rely on my Geoscience maps!

In addition to using these invaluable maps, I’ve have a marine chart loaded on my GPS. On those two big circumnavigations I averaged between 40 and 80 km per day, depending on the conditions. Typically I paddled just “one map case” worth of terrain, but if I were to go further the GPS charts are extremely helpful. This worked well on my trips around Iceland and New Zealand and it seems to be how most of the experienced expedition sea kayakers that I know travel.