Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Your pocket sailing guide
An ‘‘in-pocket sailing companion’’ means boaties can cruise the Marlborough Sounds using vast quantities of council information and imagery - for free.
Marine farms, amenities, environmental information and navigational routes are all included on the council app, with interactive maps and photographs taken from drones.
Marlborough District Council geographical information systems analyst Jamie Sigmund says the point of difference for the Cruise Guide to the Marlborough Sounds app is it can be used without reception - which is vital since most of the Sounds does not have coverage.
The app, created last October, has already been a finalist in the NZ Spatial Excellence Awards, as having such a detailed app able to work without cellphone reception is so rare.
It is now in the running for a Cawthron Marlborough Environment Award, in the new marine category.
Jamie says the uptake of the cruising guide app has been high, and the number of views online also shows the accompanying website version of the guide is also popular with people who want more information on the Sounds.
Just about every single bay in the Sounds is on there, and more material is due to be added.
The app and website took a small council team only 10 weeks to create, but they pulled together information gathered from $80 million worth of resource consents.
It includes feeds from three live webcams, with new images every 10 minutes. There is also room for public feedback.
- Elena McPhee