The Parks Victoria app was launched this week. Called ‘Parks Discovery’, the app provides a snapshot of Victoria’s most popular regional, state and national parks. It looks quite comprehensive to me in terms of the number of parks covered.
The app is a directory that lists basic information about a park, where to go and what to do. It is designed to encourage those less familiar with parks to start exploring. You can also add the parks you visited to a list and add your own notes.
From the home screen you can choose either to view the Parks Magazine or the Parks Directory. The magazine contains a collection of articles that look quite interesting. I wonder of Parks Victoria will continue to update the magazine component or if this is static content.
The app uses a map interface to search the directory component. You can choose from places around Melbourne, in western Victoria and in Eastern Victoria.
You can then view the directory of parks through a map interface…
or through an A-Z list:
Choose a park and you’ll get a snapshot of information about that park:
The icons show the sorts of facilities and activities available in the park.
Minister for Environment Lisa Neville, who launched the app said, “It can be challenging to know where to start if you’re not a regular visitor. Parks Discovery will help Victorians and tourists get the most out of their trip to our national parks.”
I don’t think the Parks Victoria app is the app of choice for regular hikers and park users like me. It doesn’t have the in-depth information I look for when I’m searching for hiking information. But it’s not designed for the likes of me – it’s designed to encourage people who don’t usually visit parks to get out and moving and visit a park. And that can only be a good thing.
The app is free and available through the App Store on iTunes or via Google Play store for Android devices.
Last modified: April 5, 2015
