Fleurieu Tour Genie GPS guided tours: Keith explores the Fleurieu Peninsula region of South Australia using this new technology
In terms of touring South Australia they reckon the Tour Genie is the very latest. It’s a GPS or global positioning system that operates on the Fleurieu Peninsula's Fleurieu Way. It's a simply a matter of hiring a unit from one of the Visitor Information Centres and plugging it in to the cigarette lighter of your car. Tune your FM radio to 88.3 and you're away. It's all very user-friendly - just set it up and hit the road.
Flashing red lights on the front of the GPS unit show it's tuned into the satellites above. Drive past a 'way point' and the unit automatically springs to life delivering directions and information about local attractions on the FM radio.
Radio: "Take the next turn to the right for a stunning view of the Myponga Reservoir from a lookout above it…"
It's that easy - then comes the 'extra bonus' part of the Tour Genie - the locals turn up to tell us more.
Radio: "SA Water expert, Steve Rose gives us some interesting facts and figures on this amazing structure. ‘Construction of the Myponga Reservoir began in 1957 and was completed in 1962. When it's full, the water spread overs about 280 hectares."
It's the idea of Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism and Roz Becker reckons it'll be a winner.
Roz Becker, Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism: "In one way, the Fleurieu is in our backyard but there’s always something new to find out about it."
The Fleurieu Way is 235 kilometres long and virtually does a 'lap' of the peninsula - if you begin in Adelaide you can end up on the River Murray at Wellington - but along the way you'll hear from locals like our own Mount Everest conquering mountaineer, Duncan Chessel.
Radio: "Deep Creek Conservation Park is probably the concentration of the best of the Heysen Trail in that region. And the beach walks, the rocky coastline, the forests through that section is spectacular and very rugged as well. That is really the best of the best of the Heysen Trail in the whole region you get spectacular coastline with sections of beautiful sandy beaches just absolutely pristine…"
Roz Becker, Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism: "It's a guided personalised tour where you can still enjoy the company of the people you are travelling with - stop and start whenever your like and do it over a number of days if that suits you or over a day if your are wanting to race around and do it which we obviously don't encourage."
Radio: "Victor Harbor is South Australia's most popular holiday resort. There's so much to do in Victor, as the locals call it. Let the kids ride the horse-drawn tram to Granite Island to visit the Little Penguins on a guided tour…"
All of the main attractions are included but Tour Genie also gets you off the main track. For example, follow the directions to the Inman Valley to lesser known curious like Glacier Rock.
Radio: "The Inman River has washed away the soil in this area to reveal one of the world's largest glacial pavements dating back 300-million years when the region was covered with ice."
The Genie is like picking up a different tour guide every couple of kilometres… and the plan is to constantly add more.
Roz Becker, Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism: "This is just the start and we're hoping to add a lot more characters and people who can tell a lot more stories about the region. So this is going to be an emerging experience - something that if you do now, you can go back in 6 - 12 month's time and have a totally different story told different story told to you."
The Tour Genie costs $15 for the day - and $5 for each extra day. They're available from the main Visitor Information Centres at McLaren Vale, Goolwa, Strathalbyn, Victor Harbor, Yankalilla and the travel Centre in the city. If you have any furhter questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Tour Genie
$15 per day + $5 additional days
Collect from Fleurieu Peninsula Visitor Information CentresPublished 17th May 2009
