Submitted: Friday, May 16, 2008 at 15:11

Trek Notes form the core content of the ExplorOz website. The Treks button in the menu provides easy access to them - and they are free for all site users to view. The trek notes published on ExplorOz are categorised for suitability to a wide range of vehicle types and terrain and include functionality to allow users to select treks most suitable to them - such as suitability for towing vans, or restricted to 4WD. We are keen to receive input from the public to increase the number of Trek Notes published - these can be 2WD/bitumen routes, National Parks, trips close to capital cities, or long-distance remote 4WD tours, so long as they provide an interesting tourism and camping experience. The key to a good trek note is the accuracy and relevance of the information and keeping it up to date.

Creating a Trek Note

Trek notes should only be created and submitted to ExplorOz by experienced travellers or by people with detailed knowledge of the area. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any training on the subject and we do not accept all trek notes submitted to us. If you are a freelance travel writer and have carefully followed our guidelines, there is a good chance that your trek note will be published on ExplorOz and if that’s the case - we'll remunerate your efforts. Another important note to mention is plagarism. The trek note must be 100% your own work including all the wording and we will not accept any trek note or sections of a trek note that’s been deliberately copied from other sources.

Recording the Trek Route

Using a digital GPS navigation system is required to record the data to be submitted to us as a trek note. The digital format is required because we use the plot file (.plt) to "build" the trek note in the ExplorOz system. This file can only be created with a digital GPS setup such as using a GPS unit or GPS receiver connected to a laptop running navigation software such as OziExplorer or TrackRanger. If you are using a GPS handheld unit, then it needs to be able to connect to a computer so the plot file can be transferred and thus sent to us via email. Click for OziExplorer in our Shop.

Some other advantages for using a digital GPS navigation system include planning the route beforehand and the transfer of GPS files. Typically, there’s common ground between plot and waypoint files. Meaning – if you can create them, then they should be easily transferred between devices and shared between people. Our PlotSwap system is just for that – for people to share plot and waypoint files. Redeeming PointPlace Credits enables the download and then the files can be loaded onto computers running OziExplorer. The trek can then be studied against a selected raster map backdrop and if a laptop or PDA is used, the trek can even be followed in the field.

Getting into the digital side of navigation may take some time for the newbie to learn as it’s a fairly complicated subject. This is mainly due to the mixed and various GPS units, software and file formats. Also, like all things digital these days, products are loaded with features to the brim and learning it all, let alone knowing what to do with it can be hard. If you haven’t already, please read the navigation articles that are listed below to learn more about digital navigation.

Using Digital Maps & Mapping Software
GPS for Laptops and PDAs
GPS Units

ExplorOz Trek Note Template

There is a trek note template in a Word document format that basically outlines the information that we use to create a trek note from scratch. After opening the document, you will notice a table where data elements need to be filled in. Each one is briefly explained below:

• Overview This is a brief overview of the trek and the surrounding area. This should be no more than a couple of sentences.


• Start Point Trek starting point that can be a town name, a place name or even an intersection.


• Finish Point Trek Finishing point that can be a town name, a place name or even an intersection.


• Min. Days This is the minimum amount of days it had taken to complete the entire trek. You can also break up the trek into multiple sections, which may include overnight camping stays and any small trips that deviate from the track toward interesting spots.


• Fuel Supplies List the names of any nearby towns or service stations where you can purchase fuel.


• Best Time to Visit This represents the best months of the year to visit and is usually based on the climate.


• Permits If you need any permits, permissions etc, please try to be specific with this by providing information on the: permit cost, the permit duration, the area the permit covers and the contact details of where the permit can be purchased.


• Supplies/Facilities List the names of any nearby places where you can purchase supplies such as food and even fuel.


• Difficulty Rating This is rated out of 10, with 10 being the toughest.

The next section of the document also needs to be filled in and needs to be a little more detailed. Each one is briefly explained below:

• Description This is the overall description of the trek and is the first major section that someone will read. It needs to captivating and interesting to help encourage another person to want to do the trek too. It should have a reasonable word count but not much more than 400 words. Please dont include any references of driving notes as there is a dedicated section in the trek note for these. Also, do not use a diary approach in the writing style (i.e. using I and we).


• Preparation Elaborate on all the items that you would need to consider taking before embarking on the trek such as: supplies, recovery gear, communications equipment, safety gear, etc. It is very important to be quite detailed and helpful as to assist those to be better prepared. To provide easier access to more information, we have provided a list of relevant ExplorOz articles.


• Environment This section discusses the types of environment such as: landscape, and terrain. Also include a brief list of the wildlife, flora and fauna that you may encounter on the trek or any environment issues that are topical and relevant for the area. Enter text here in your own words. Up to 300 words maximum.


• History This section discusses any historical significance of the area/region. List any European or Aboriginal history and even cultural significance such as: Aboriginal heritage sites, early pioneers and explorers, historic events, etc. Enter text here in your own words. Up to 300 words maximum.

Starting the Trek

The first thing to do is to write the Lat/Long position of the starting point, take one or more photos and write a short description of the place. Next, you journey the trek taking very brief notes of the major waypoints, intersections or major turns (track or road) and interesting features along the way. It would be handy to take some photos of each and document the photo number to the place title for organisational purposes. Every minor waypoint or place should have one photo and a very brief description. Only the major waypoints and places that have interesting appeal should have multiple photos and a longer description.

If you don’t have a laptop connected to a GPS to record the plots (eg. OziExplorer), then it would be very tedious to take Lat/Long readings for every intersection, curve or turnoff. If you have a GPS handheld unit such as a Garmin or Magellan and you are using it to create the plot file and waypoint, see if you can import them into OziExplorer and maybe export or save them as a .plt file for plots and a .wpt file for waypoints. You might find it is possible to export it as a .gpx file, although this may only be for routes and waypoints.

Remuneration

For fully published trek notes, ExplorOz offers existing members another full year renewal on your membership and $70 in member money added to your membership account. For non-members, we offer a new ExplorOz membership and $70 in member money added to your newly created membership account. All new and renewed membership cards will be sent to you in the post. We also have ExplorOz Gear for exceptional trek notes and we can feature your name or (screen-name) in the trek note author field.

For anyone interested in creating ExplorOz trek notes, please read all documentation, which includes this article and the ExplorOz Trek Note Template Form. Both of these can be downloaded in multiple formats below. Please email the ExplorOz Content Co-ordinator at info@exploroz.com if have a trek note that you would like to submit.

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