Shopping in Sydney with Google Maps

Urban Walkabout is a comprehensive on-line shopping guide to the popular shopping areas in Perth and Sydney, Australia.



The site includes Google Maps for both Perth and Sydney, displaying all the best shops in all the popular suburbs of both cities. The shops on each map are categorised into Fashion & Bodycare, Objects & Art, Food & Drink, Stay & Explore and Shopping Centres.



If you click on a shop's marker on the map you can then click through to read Urban Walkabout's full review of the establishment.



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Australian Postcodes on Google Maps

Postcode Finder is a great application that shows Australia's postcodes on a Google Map. Using Postcade Finder a postcode search can be performed as either a text search or as a geographic query with a simple click on the map.



All Things Spatial has a nice post about the latest version of Postcode Finder. The post explains the choice of using Fusion Tables to create the application rather than a Web Map Service (WMS), and looks at the positive and negative outcomes of this choice.



Postcode Finder



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Easy Riding on Google Maps

Motorcycle Roads



Motorcycle Roads is a community driven guide to great motorcycle rides in America. Each of the great motorbike rides is accompanied by a Google Map of the ride's route.



Each mapped route includes details about the ride's length, road quality and roadside amenities. The scenery, road quality and amenities are each rated by the route's submitter and include written details.



Sunday Morning Rides



Sunday Morning Rides has used Google Maps to map over 1,500 great motorbike rides throughout the USA.



You can search for rides by state and view each ride on its own map. Each route comes with an interactive elevation chart, which, if you mouseover, shows the Street View for that location.



Motorcycle Network

Motorcycle Network is a directory of everything to do with motorcycles in Australia. The site uses Google Maps to show all the parking spots in the major cities and also show all the motorcycle and scooter dealers, mechanics and gear shops, as well as all the training facilities, tours, insurance and hire places around Australia.



Mr Zip66's Easy Rider Map

Denis Hopper's Easy Rider is to many the seminal counter-culture movie of the 1960's. Some of us may never get the chance to ride a bike across the States but thanks to Mr Zip we can follow the route on Google Maps.



Mr Zip has pieced together the locations used in the film and managed to put together a rough approximation of the route. The map itself is simple enough, showing the route in blue, with a few map markers showing the locations of the main scenes in the movie.



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Australian Social Diversity on Google Maps

Arek of the All Things Spatial blog has created a series of Google Maps to highlight social diversity in New South Wales, Australia.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics attempts to quantify socio-economic diversity for geographic locations with a suite of four summary measures called Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA). Arek has imported the Bureau's data for the four measures into Fusion Tables and created a map for each.

Each map provides a heat-map visualisation of one of the measure. In each map you can click on any of New South Wales' postal areas to view the area's rank and decile.

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Australian Ash Cloud on Google Maps

Planefinder.net

The ash cloud created by the eruption of the Puyehue volcano in Chile continues to cause huge disruption to plane flights in Australia. Real-time flight tracking website planefinder.net is using Google Maps to show the location of the ash cloud as it drifts around the southern hemisphere.

The ash cloud is predicted to linger over south-east Australia for some time, causing widespread disruption to flights in and out of Sydney and Melbourne. At the time of writing the planefinder.net map shows a few flights in and out of south-east Australian airports but nowhere near the flight activity that can be seen in and around Perth.

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The Best Australian Flights on Google Maps

GetFlight

GetFlight is a Google Maps based application that displays the cheapest flights in and out of Australia. The application tracks sale fares for the four major domestic carriers and some of the largest international airlines that operate in and out of the country and displays them on a map.

To start you can just click on one of the major cities and the cheapest domestic and international flights are immediately shown on the map. It is also possible to type in your starting point and your destination of choice to see the best deals for that journey.

If you select the 'search direct' button you can also define the dates you wish to travel and select which airlines you wish to fly with.

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Mapping Wild Camels with Google Maps

CamelScan

Australia is being plagued by feral camels. More than 1 million camels are roaming the Australian desert causing damage to water supplies and disturbing Aboriginal communities.

CamelScan is a new crowdsouced project that allows anyone to report sightings of feral camels in Australia on a Google Map. Through this initiative CamelScan will be able to develop a regional map and national picture of where feral camels occur, and work out where they congregate in different seasons.

By mapping the damage caused by camels, CamelScan can help to identify when, where and how to control feral camels in order to reduce the damage they cause.

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Invest in Property with Help of Google Maps

Property Investment Map

If you are looking to develop your property investment portfolio in Australia then you should use this Google Map.

The map presents information on gross rental yields, capital gains, vendor discounts and top performing areas by suburb, for all of Australia (excluding ACT). It is also possible to view the overall trends for the last year or for the last five years.

Using the map investors can pinpoint suburbs with good rental yields and capital growth prospects. The Australian blog All things spatial says that the "Property Investment Map should be in the toolbox of not only investors but also anyone serious about purchasing a property."

Via: All things spatial

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Coalition Turning Google Maps Blue

NSW Electorate Map

On Saturday New South Wales, Australia held its state election. The Sydney Morning Herald has produced this Google Map to visualise the results in each electorate.

The map is coloured-coded so that you can tell at a glance which party won in each electorate. If you click on any of the individual electoral regions the results of the election are displayed in the map sidebar.

Via: All Things Spatial

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Town Namesakes on Google Maps

NSW Suburbs: What's in a name?

Did you know that 227 towns in New South Wales are named after UK towns? Well this double Google Map shows you all 227 NSW towns and shows you the location of their namesake in the UK.

The towns are displayed on both Google Maps and listed in the map sidebar. If you click on a town name in the sidebar both the New South Wales and UK map will centre on the chosen town.

If you want to produce a similar map for the namesakes of US towns you can view the code for the map at github. Alternatively you could create a dual map showing the cities/towns other cities/towns were twinned with.

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Maps of Tropical Cyclone Yasi

ABC Net Cyclone Season Map

ABC News in Australia is using Google Maps to display the path of tropical cyclone Yasi.

The map shows the current position of the cyclone and its projected path. Numbers are shown along the projected path to show its predicted strength. You can click on the numbers to view the time of the cyclone's estimated arrival at that location.

Also See

Aus-emaps Severe Weather Map - the latest satellite image of the approaching cyclone and wind speed information

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Cyclone Yasi on Google Maps

Aus-emaps Severe Weather Map

Queensland in Australia just can't catch a break at the moment. Fresh from devastating floods the area is now braced for the impact of category 5 cyclone Yasi.

The latest satellite image of the approaching cyclone and wind speed information for the impact area can be monitored live on aus-emaps.com’s Hazards Monitor pages (courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology web services). If you turn on the 'Clouds' overlay on this Google Map you can view the satellite image.

Aus-emaps has also produced a shareable reference map of the cyclone. The map includes a kmz file that contains the latest BOM update on tropical cyclone Yasi.

Via: All Things Spatial

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6,500 Aerial Photos of the Australian Floods

Above Photography Map of the Queensland Floods

Above Photography have used Google Fusion Tables to create a Google Map that displays aerial photographs of the damage caused by the flooding in Queensland, Australia.

The map includes over 6,500 aerial photographs of the Brisbane suburbs and Rockhampton when the flooding was at its peak, as well as imagery from the Lockyer Valley.

Also See

• NearMap - aerial photo map of Australia. New imagery includes the recent flooding
• Queensland Floods - Google Map from the Google Crisis Response team.
  
• ABC Qld Flood Crisis Map - Map using the Ushahidi crisis reporting platform.
• Panedia - Brisbane Flooding Panoramas - 360 degree panoramas of the flooding in Brisbane
• Australian Early Warning Network - Bureau of Meteorology information and emergency alerts

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Aerial Photo Map of the Australian Floods

NearMap

Brisbane, 13th Jan 2011


Brisbane, 12th Sept 2010

NearMap is an aerial photo map of Australia that updates and adds new imagery every month. The amazing level and frequency of coverage on NearMap means that it gives a unique overview of the devastation caused by the Australian flooding.

A great feature of NearMap is a time-line that allows you to compare the most recent aerial imagery with historical imagery. The screenshot at the top of this post was taken on the 13th Jan 2011. Using the time-line we can see how this location usually looks, without flooding, by viewing the same location on 12th Sept 2010.

NearMap uses OpenStreetMap rather the Google Maps API but I think it deserves to sneak through the normally strict screening process of Google Maps Mania.

Also See

• Queensland Floods - Google Map from the Google Crisis Response team.
  
• ABC Qld Flood Crisis Map - Map using the Ushahidi crisis reporting platform.
• Panedia - Brisbane Flooding Panoramas - 360 degree panoramas of the flooding in Brisbane
• Australian Early Warning Network - Bureau of Meteorology information and emergency alerts

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Australian Flooding Twitter Maps

Historic Flooding in Australia - Tweets Mapped

Here is another Google Map that displays Tweets about the current flooding in Australia.

The map animates through the latest Twitter messages that use the hashtag #qldfloods. Many of the messages displayed on the map are informative, outlining help available and giving updates on the latest news about road closures etc.

Tweak the Tweet Queensland Flooding is also mapping the #qldfloods Twitter messages.

Also See

• Queensland Floods - Google Map from the Google Crisis Response team.
  
• ABC Qld Flood Crisis Map - Map using the Ushahidi crisis reporting platform.
• Panedia - Brisbane Flooding Panoramas - 360 degree panoramas of the flooding in Brisbane
• Australian Early Warning Network - Bureau of Meteorology information and emergency alerts

You can donate to the Flood Relief Appeal here.

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360 Panoramas of the Brisbane Floods

Panedia - Brisbane Flooding Panoramas

I've been watching the news reports about the current flooding in Australia but nothing I have seen has quite had the emotional impact of this Google Map of 360 degree panoramas shot in Brisbane today.

The map includes 40 interactive panoramas of the flooding in Brisbane that can be viewed directly from the map. The flood has affected more than 25,000 properties in the Brisbane area. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says it is "the worst natural disaster in our history and possibly in the history of our nation."

These interactive panoramas give a first person view of the floods and are therefore able to convey incredibly effectively the impact that the flooding has had on the city.

Have a look at the panoramas and then donate to the Flood Relief Appeal.

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Google Crisis Response - Queensland

Queensland Floods

The Google Crisis Response team has produced what looks to be a very useful Google Map for anyone affected by the current flooding in Australia.

The map initially shows the levels of flooding but also includes a number of other layers. A layer showing Queensland road closures should be very useful for anyone in that area. There is also a layer to view the locations of evacuation centres.

The map includes two layers displaying third party data. One from ABC displays the towns and cities affected by the floods and another from SBS shows the worst affected areas.

Also See

• ABC Qld Flood Crisis Map - Map using the Ushahidi crisis reporting platform.
• Tweak the Tweet Queensland Flooding - map showing the latest #qldfloods Tweets
• Australian Early Warning Network - Bureau of Meteorology information and emergency alerts

You can donate to the Flood Relief Appeal here.

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Australia Flooding Tweets on Google Maps

Tweak the Tweet Queensland Flooding

Tweak the Tweet is a platform that uses Twitter as a two-way communication channel for information during emergencies, crises, and disasters. The platform is using Google Maps to show the latest Tweets about the current flooding crisis in Australia.

There are two Google Maps, Map by Type and Map by Time. Both maps show the latest Tweets that include the hashtag #qldfloods.

Map by Type colour-codes the Tweets by category, including 'photos', 'missing' and 'shelter'. Map by Time categorises the Tweets by how recently they have been posted.

You can donate to the Flood Relief Appeal here.

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Google Maps of the Australian Floods

The tragedy of the flooding in Australia seems to just keep getting worse and worse. Flash floods in the Brisbane area have left nine dead and at least 70 missing nearby.


All Things Spatial map of the Australian floods

Arek, of Australian mapping blog All Things Spatial, has written a great post about how the government is often slow to respond to such crisis with GIS projects.

Because governments are often slow to respond community lead projects in the GIS arena are a great solution. For example, ABC has just released the ABC Qld Flood Crisis Map, built on the Ushahidi platform.


ABC Qld Flood Crisis Map

The map is an attempt to crowdsource reports on the Queensland floods and the recovery operations. The Ushahidi platform is especially useful as it can be configured to send SMS alerts to registered users.

Arek also points to the Australian Early Warning Network that republishes Bureau of Meteorology information and sends emergency alerts to mobile phones, home phones, pagers and via SMS or e-mail. The Australian Early Warning Network is maintained by a private company.

Arek has himself produced a Google Map to show the huge extent of the area affected by the flooding.

You can donate to the Flood Relief Appeal here.

Via: All Things Spatial

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Local News & Events with Google Maps

EveryMap

Australian website EveryMap is a local report website that allows people to share what is happening or has happened locally.

Users of EveryMap can submit reports on anything from upcoming local events, local news, problems that need fixing to their favourite bars and restaurants. Submitted reports are then added to a Google Map.

It is possible to search the reports posted to the map by category and by time. EveryMap includes a very useful timeline function that allows you to adjust the reports shown on the map by a starting and closing date.

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