Google sharpens Christchurch maps

Most Christchurch residents got sharply better resolution on Google Maps and Google Earth last week, which means scouting you own home from space is even more revealing.

As this photo shows, you can now count the oars of rowers near Porritt Park, and even more impressive is the clarity of the homes on Locksley Ave.

The new photography was taken on March 4, 2009, in the late afternoon or early evening, judging by the shadows.

Google Maps - and its more useful sibling, Google Earth - do not produce the imagery. Instead, Google relies on partners who produce overhead photos for their own needs and then supply it to Google according to their own schedules, says Google spokeswoman Annie Baxter.

As a result, the new resolution does not include all of Christchurch. Areas such as Scarborough, Taylor's Mistake, Lyttelton, Halswell, Christchurch airport and Marshlands are excluded.

Google, however, is committed to providing the best available imagery, Baxter says, and if Christchurch City Council or anyone else provides better photography, Google would make it available on the internet.

A council in the Waikato sent imagery to Google and it was posted.

Another great feature in Google Earth is historical views. Google was provided with aerial photos of the North Shore from the 1950s and 1960s, for example, and users can see how the area developed over time.

Google Earth is a free software download for consumers. See earth.google.com. Google Maps is an option from google.co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News