Google South Africa yesterday launched a new gallery called Discover South Africa on Street View, offering users a visual experience of four sites.
The four new sites are in addition to the Mzansi Experience sites launched in March last year and further showcase, in 360-degree imagery, South Africa’s natural beauty. The virtual tours enable visitors to see the sights for themselves on their phones, tablets or computers.
* Chapmans Peak Lookout, Table Mountain National Park, Western Cape, is a popular hike for locals and tourists. Those who reach the summit are rewarded with 360 panoramic views of The Atlantic Ocean to the west, False Bay to the east, the fishing village of Hout Bay to the north, and the white sands of the 7km-long Noordhoek Beach to the south.
* Lanner Gorge, Kruger National Park, Limpopo, is roughly 11km long and home to abundant wildlife including crocodiles, hippos, baboons, leopards and others. Due to its steepness and status as a wilderness area, access to this area is extremely limited.
* Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Mpumalanga is a natural water feature marking the beginning of the Blyde River Canyon. Carved out over centuries by the Blyde and Treur Rivers, which meet there, these connected pools and sandstone outcrops present an ever-changing landscaping of outstanding beauty.
* Tugela Gorge Hike, Royal National Park, KwaZulu Natal, is rated as one of the top hiking trails in South Africa and features lush forest, icy, clear rock pools and curved canyon walls in the stunning Drakensberg region.
This type of 360-degree, panoramic imagery is now available in 66 countries.
Mich Atagana, Google SA communications and public affairs head, says: “We are excited about the many possibilities we have yet to explore, and to bring more useful and beautiful imagery to Google Maps users around the globe.”
There are more than one billion monthly active users of Google Maps services. Street View imagery is available in more than 82 countries, as well as parts of the Arctic and Antarctica (including penguins).
