Keeping up with digital revolution

THE famed Midlands Meander has taken massive strides since its inception 30 years ago. Celebrating three decades of existence this month, with a new guide having just been released, the meander has seen remarkable growth and progress over the years. Its purpose, however, hasn’t changed much.

Formed initially as a cost-effective way of marketing the plethora of incredible artists in the area, and to invite the public to visit them in their countryside studios, the Midlands Meander took the form of a “rolling exhibition” held several times a year.

The founder members were a group of artists and crafters battling to access the commercial markets in the big cities, owing to rising costs. Also, in the politically tumultuous mid-1980s, many gallery owners were leaving the country.

In 1990, the first brown-paper map was produced. Today, it’s morphed into the highly desirable Midlands Meander Guide, produced annually in the familiar A3 format since 1993. And it doesn’t stop there. At its AGM held at St Ives last week, the Midlands Meander Association launched not only its latest new travel guide, but also a new mobile app – catapulting the organisation straight into the digital era and embracing, with gusto, the changing face of technology.

Marian Evans, the manager of the Midlands Meander, said the app would entice new tourism to the vibrant and thriving area.

“It will transform the humble cellphone into a guide on the go – information will be a button away. Traditionally, visitors have paged through the beautiful picture-heavy Midlands Meander Guide.”

The app, available on Playstore on any Android phone, combines simplicity and cutting-edge technology. For the techno-savvy generation, it places information easily into guests’ hands, with one-touch access to location and info. App users can look forward to:

Real-time navigation to help them get from place to place using Google Maps.

A page for each of the more than 150 Midlands Meander establishments, with contact details, descriptions, opening times, photos and links to help plan the journey.

Advanced search options so they can find exactly what they’re looking for on the meander.

Those with iPhones will have to wait until December 1 for the app to become available in iOS, just in time for the December holidays.

Oh, and in case you were wondering what happened to those humble, hippie-style artists and crafters of yesteryear? They’ve since grown into thriving and accomplished galleries and businesses. But they remain true to their country roots, which is what draws many city tourists into the green, misty hills of the KZN Midlands.

For more information about the Midlands Meander, phone 033 330 8195, or e-mail info@midlandsmeander.co.za.