Physical maps are going nowhere, says Hamilton map store owner
It's not just people over 50 who prefer finding their way with an old-school physical map, says Murray Jones, owner of The Chart & Map Shop in Hamilton.
The rise of virtual maps and apps that pinpoint your location on your phone means it is now almost impossible to get lost.
But while the physical map has largely faded from most people's day-to-day life, it's a different story for Murray Jones, owner of one of New Zealand's few remaining specialist map shops.
Jones, who has never used GPS or a digital map, tells Checkpoint he's not alone in preferring paper.
With GPS too unreliable, physical maps are poised for a comeback, says Hamilton map-seller Murray Jones.
Supplied / Murray Jones
A wide range of maps is available at The Chart & Map Shop, which Jones has owned for the past 30 years.
"There's world maps, you know, maps for tramping, overseas maps... quite a range."
As for the exact number, he said it was something he had not had the chance to count.
"But there's a lot, maps everywhere."
While online maps have nearly fully taken over, Jones believes an old-school physical map offers things you can't get on a phone.
"You need a map because you need to see where you're going, really, work out which way you want to go."
"With your phones, if you're going to Europe and you're looking at Europe on your phone and you can only see a small part.... You have to keep going backwards and forwards."
Murray said he gets a range of customers coming into his shop and believes there's definitely still a place for his maps.
"I'm nearly retirement age, but people my age or even 50s, 60s and older, you know, they grew up with them, so they still want them to see where they're going from one side to the other."
It's not just the generation that grew up with maps visiting Jones' shop. He said he often has younger visitors, too.
"A lot of people just walk past and come in, and then I always quiz them."
"I had about 5 or 6 girls in the other day when the teachers were on strike... I asked them the question 'Do you like using maps?' And they said yes, so I was quite happy to hear that."
While the response surprised him, it only confirms his beliefs.
"I think it's coming around... You know personally, I don't think they're ever going to go away."
The wall of Murray Jones' Chart & Map shop is adorned with an enormous map of New Zealand.
Supplied / Murray Jones
Despite his huge collection, Jones still has a clear standout for his favourite map.
"I've got so many really nice maps... [but] an old topographical map... the colours are just so nice and the detail from the '50s and '60s, even in the '70s when they were printed, [it's] just different to the new ones."
He doesn't shy away from a slightly more modern map, though, and keeps a map book handy at home.
"I always get it out, because I've been section-walking the Te Araroa trail, so I always make up a map for where we're going and laminate it, so it doesn't get wet when we do a walk"
While Jones maintains his dedication to the physical map, not everyone around him follows the same set of rules. He and his wife often differ when it comes to directions in the car.
"My wife would be on her phone, but I would have a paper map with me, and if I'm driving, then she'll just find the destination."
But Jones is not convinced.
"You know, it's it still works, but some of the GPSs they make you go around and around the block or, you know, they're not always accurate."
The Chart & Map Shop is located on Victoria Street in Hamilton Central.
