A_R_R_2015_04

110 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

nothing beats the accuracy of a GPS-

enabled smartphone. When I started out

in 2004, the only way one could enjoy

the convenience of GPS functionality

was with a costly Garmin handheld GPS

device powered by AA ba eries. The

maps, of course, had to be purchased

separately and were nowhere as detailed

as Google Maps are today.

Nevertheless, smartphones aren’t

foolproof. The ba ery on my iPhone

5s is especially crap, though I can

signifi cantly extend its operating

time by keeping it switched off and in

airplane mode while on the go. Another

great tip is to use offl ine map apps

like City Maps 2 Go and Mapswithme

that allow you to plot a course or save

a point of interest using your internet

connection at a hotel or at your home

— and to peruse the saved data when

you’re on the road without an internet

connection.

But even then your smartphone can

seize up, get smashed, drown or get lost.

Inasmuch, any adventure rider worth

their salt will also carry a paper map

and study it before leaving home. Keep

your map folded in a waterproof ziplock

bag while riding and take the time to

fold it neatly a er every read. And in

the unlikely event that both your map

and smartphone go AWOL, a $5 compass

will prove a life-saver as it will stop you

from walking in circles if you need to

abandon your bike off -road.

Another very simple and eff ective

navigational tool for fi nding your way

from A to B in foreign lands is to stop

and ask locals for directions. To get the

most out of this, it pays to learn a bit of

the local language. Phrases like “where

is ...”, “how far is it to ...”, “le ”, “right” and

the numbers one through to 10. You also

need to show respect and gratitude to

these folk, which you can do by learning

things like “hello”, “please” and “thank

you”, as well as “where do you come

from” and “what’s your name” — two

questions they’re likely to ask you.

Asking for directions is also a great way

to make friends and receive invitations

for dinner or to stay the night — the

kind of heart-warming experiences

that make adventure riding in foreign

countries so worthwhile.

OBSTACLES

When commuting around my hometown

of Sydney, I assume every other driver

on the road is about to do the stupidest

thing they could possibly do. On the rare

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