Using Flickr for tourism

EMMA SPILLETT

espillett@kiamaindependent.com.au

KIAMA resident Darcy Moore is bringing Kiama into the 21st century by using the internet as a social tourism device.

A budding photographer, Mr Moore has created a Flickr page dedicated to Kiama’s coastal walking track.

The site will allow residents, visitors and potential tourists to upload and view images from the walk, gaining an insight into Kiama’s natural surrounds and the number of people who have used the track.

A deputy school principal, Mr Moore said his interest in the web was motivated by its high usage in the school environment.

“I’m really interested in Web 2.0 as a way to get people on board with the internet and to understand generational change,” he said.

“I’m interested in its use in life and how helpful it has been in my profession … I can now buy software like Adobe or PhotoShop for a reduced price and I’ve just bought an SLR camera, so I’ve been fooling around on Photoshop.”

Mr Moore said the idea for the Flickr page started about six months after he devised a similar page for the Spring Creek wetlands.

“It’s only got three members at the moment, but it’s great because I can take a photo of a spider or insect I find in my backyard and a professor from Western Australia will identify it, catalogue it and we get more insight into what’s in people’s backyards,” he said.

Having completed the walk solely three times and twice with his young family, Mr Moore said it was a pleasant local experience and one that needed to be promoted.

“I was walking along here once and I saw a sea eagle and it had a fish in its mouth and it was just David Attenborough stuff … it was fascinating,” he said.

Although the site is only in its infancy, Mr Moore said he was hoping it would grow in the next 12 months.

“It’s a great way for people from the area to post photos, but I will be interested to see how many people from interstate and internationally want to share their photos,” he said.

“People who take photos generally want to share them so I’m more interested in the diverse range of pictures and their owners.”

Mr Moore said the site was also a good way to meet other people who might have similar interests.

“The breadcrumbs are important … you can see that someone has posted a picture and then look at their page and see what they’re interested in,” he said.

As a tourism tool, Mr Moore said tourism operators not using sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Flickr were missing out on the “Zeitgeist”.

“It’s amazing to see how many people are getting into it,” he said.

“Although it’s largely generational, the fastest growing demographic is (older) people as it’s a good way to access other people and the world around you from your own home.”

Enter www.flickr.com/groups/1295541@N22/ in your browser to access the Flickr site.