Navigating Out East

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A GREAT RIDE

Cartographer and trail designer Gary Patterson has mapped his way around the globe from subantarctic islands to back-country bike trails on every continent. He returned home for an epic adventure, riding all 22 NZ Cycle Trails Great Rides to make a mobile app. The Great Rides App is the only mobile app for the trails, and can be freely downloaded from the app stores. Follow his travels to inspire, plan and to help you on your own journey.

āori travelled in waka and navigated by the stars to reach the east coast. Later, Europeans steered tall ships and navigated with sextants, crossing the globe and making discoveries along this coast. Today, I begin to chart the Hawke’s Bay Trails by bicycle and my navigation tools of choice are three GPS units. While transport and navigation methods have changed through the centuries, one thing remains constant: the need to find one’s way in life. I consider my life to be strongly influenced by geography; witness my chosen work path as a cartographer. So it is that I find myself in Napier ready to plot a course along this extensive