SA Rocks

Google maps recently launched in South Africa (recently as in yesterday). So I had an idea that we should try to plot a map group of the most rocking things to do, places to go, see and visit in South Africa for tourists and locals alike to check out.

So my request is simple. If you want to assist me in building the South Africa Rocks Google Map then leave a comment below and I’ll drop you a collaboration invite and you can tell the world about your favourite spots in SA!

Some thoughts about what to tag:

Restaurants
Live music venues
Shopping centres
Running routes
Parks
Kid-friendly spots
Hotels
Lodges
Bnb’s
Backpackers
Resorts
Golfing venues
Hiking areas
Swimming areas
Beaches

I’m also calling out some good folk to help out and list 10 of their favourite locations!

Mike
Wezzo
From-The-Couch
Vincent
Khaya
CherryFlava
2OceansVibe
Chris
JustBcoz
Cath

Your invites are in the mail!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Plak is a new service that has just launched for South Africans trying to locate places of interest.

And I quote:

Plak is 100% free of charge. It is a Google Maps Web application for South Africans to locate places of interest (Hopefully it’ll also become a useful resource for tourists planing trips to South Africa). It also allows those who are logged in, to place Plaks on the map of South Africa.

“Plak” is an Afrikaans word and it means to stick or to squat (My Afrikaans isn’t very good, so please forgive me if I got the translations wrong).

Also, especially for those South Africans with a sense of humour, the word “Plak” rhymes with the word… ermmm… “Kak.”

Now you never know how quickly technology might progress and what sort of support Google will roll out for Maps but right now, as Plak states, Google “doesn’t contain very comprehensive information for South Africa. Unfortunately it is also true that Google Maps doesn’t support Geocoding for South Africa. However, it is true that Google are constantly upgrading and expanding their Maps service. So hopefully, given some time, things will improve.”

There is a Plak Blog so head over there for more information about the service.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Americans get a lot of grief about their seemingly inherent lack of geographical knowledge and education.

On Friday I was sent a tiny little flash game to play. It is focused on geography. Capitals of countries, famous places, cities etc etc. As you progress through the levels it becomes harder and harder to pinpoint the exact proximity of the place you are asked for.

I managed to get up to a whopping stage 6 (out of a lot more than that).

So here you go, take the test and let me know how you do. I’ve chose Africa as the focus of this little test. I mock other people for their lack of knowledge but let’s see how we all do with African geography.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Finally South Africa has been added to the list of cities with their own layer on Google Earth!

The pitch on the website is fairly simple, now you can explore SA and plan trips around the country flying through the air on Google Earth.

The site says that there are 3 steps you need to complete, but there really is only one; download Google Earth.

Other things being punted involved a step by step on planning your trip across the country or to a specific destination.

The entire concept seems to be very tourism based which I think is a fantastic idea considering how important tourism is to our economy.

The site looks great and feels simple enough to use.

I’ve downloaded Google Earth and given the SA layer a test run.

Here are my thoughts on the old features:

Typing in “Johannesburg, South Africa” will take you directly to the JHB CBD. Smack bang in the middle of town. My previous experiences of Google Earth have been fantastic, everywhere but in SA. You could look at Manhatten in NY or any other major city. Finally JHB is being taken seriously.

There is a massive social aspect to the SA layer on Google Earth. Little turquoise dots will allow you to see things like a panorama view of JHB CBD, you can then comment on that photo or upload your own to that venue or area. Brilliant stuff.

Moving on to Oxford street you see a very up-to-date image of the Hyatt in Rosebank and to the left of that the Gautrain construction site (just to prove that things are fresh!).

I found the Carlton Centre in the CBD and clicked on the little dot and bam, up popped a Wikipedia entry about the Carlton Centre. Fantastic. This is learning by experience in a pseudo-experiential sort of way. I even managed to get a view from the top of the centre. Incredible stuff.

Moving to Cape Town will allow you to activate the 3D buildings option on the right hand side of the key grid. Typing in and flying to Cape Town will take you straight to the city centre and right to the Absa building amongst others that have been mapped in 3D.

You can also activate the Roads and maps option to “drive” yourself around the area you are in.

The new layer:

Now everything above that I’ve just mentioned is what you can do WITHOUT visiting the Google Earth SA website and DOWNLOADING the SA layer map from the site.

The file is immediately opened by Google Earth and this is what you see:

The map is VERY 2010 centric and seems to be a marketing tool for the Soccer World Cup. If you ask me, it’s a brilliant move that will spark MAJOR interest in our country. It looks magnificent and there is so much to see that I could honestly blog all day about this. But I wont.

I will ask that you go and download Google Earth and the SA app file and get searching for places of interest. You will be astounded. There is so much to see, so much to do and so much to feel positive about by just looking at a map.

By the way, I was given a heads up for this post by the one, the only, the scott. It’s always great to get a lead or a scoop so if, like Scott you have a lead for me, send it through!

Popularity: 16% [?]