Geoscience Australia

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.

As I did on my circumnavigations around New Zealand, I place these crucial navigation tools on my front deck in an Aqua Pack. 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.

I also plan to get the "Australia Pilot I, II, III and V" and the "Australian Seafarers Handbook" for advice about landings and marine navigation signs. Since they are big fat heavy books, I’ll have to study them at home as my library space is limited. There’s also the "Australian National Tide Tables" with a tidal stream atlas section. Tidal times are loaded on my GPS too.