Apple Maps moves Dunedin, Timaru airports

ANNA TURNER AND MICHELLE COOKE

Last updated 19:44 25/09/2012

MISTAKE: Timaru Airport appears to now be located in Heaton St in Merivale, Christchurch.

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When Apple launched its new mapping software it said maps would "take a whole new turn".

But for some locations it has been a wrong turn, including Dunedin International Airport, which has been misplaced at the centre of the city in the Octagon, and Timaru Airport, which is marked as being in a Christchurch suburb.

Apple recently released the highly anticipated iOS 6 operating system, which comes with its own map application, kicking out Google Maps as the default system on iPhones, iPads and iPods.

However, the new map application obviously has a few kinks for Apple to work out.

When searching for "Dunedin International Airport", the application marks it as being in the Octagon, 29 km from where it is actually located.

Search for "Timaru Airport" on the new software and you will be told it is in Heaton St in Strowan, Christchurch.

The phone number listed for Timaru Airport is also wrong.

The "Timaru Airport" number is the fax number for Sacred Heart Primary School in Heaton St in Timaru.

Christchurch resident Dougal Shand discovered that Timaru Airport had been misplaced after becoming increasingly worried about nearby noise pollution and traffic disruption in the Merivale area where he lives.

"I had been thinking it was the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (Scirt) repairing the Papanui Rd water mains and sewers," he said in a letter to The Press.

"Upon upgrading to the new Apple 6 on my iPad and using the new Apple maps app, I worked out the source of the problem.

''The noise is in fact coming from Timaru Airport. It is now only 100m from our Merivale address.

"It seems Scirt has been beavering away at night relocating Timaru Airport to Heaton St."

Searches for Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch airports appear to be correct.

There have been problems worldwide with the new maps application since its launch, with international users complaining that landmarks are misplaced or missing from the system.

A Tumblr feed called the Amazing iOS 6 maps, dedicated to the mistakes, has been established.

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