Jim’s Cartography Services is based in Taupō, New Zealand.

JCS specialises in

• • Maps

    Street maps (both static & interactive) – all sizes
    Maps for Real Estate Agents and Retail advertising
    Tourist maps (Taupō’s Top Attractions – base templates for Taupō’s premier Tourist map)
    Orienteering
    Event maps (e.g. routes for competitors, route profiles, traffic management, etc.) – see below
    Mountain Bike Trail maps
    Maps for books and magazines
    Forestry
    Outdoor Education Centre maps
    Conference / Lodge maps
    Permanent Orienteering Course maps (Lodges, Conference Centres, Parks, etc)
    Location maps for Motels, B&B, etc (website and printed formats)
    Farm and Life-style blocks
    Crime scene maps (NZ Police)
    Debriefing maps for Search and Rescue (LandSAR)
    School maps
    Tweaking/Updating/Editing existing Topo maps with your trails, key sites, etc

    • Venue location maps

    • Maps for Annual Reports, Websites, etc

    • Map Graticules (Romers)

    • Logos

    Background

    Jim Lewis first became interested in maps as a Scout en route to gaining the Queen’s Scout Award and the Gold Standard of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

    Jim has been involved with the sport of orienteering since 1977, and he has competed in 10 countries. Since then he has been extensively involved in producing maps – initially mainly for orienteering clubs. Orienteering maps have a lot of detail to aid the competitors navigate and must be accurately field worked, and the cartography needs to be of a high standard for legibility.

    In 1998 he diversified into other map formats – specialising in street maps – both interactive and static (hard copies), and Event maps.

    Jim mainly uses aerial photographs for the fieldwork base map. CAD software (OCAD12Pro, Adobe Illustrator, QGIS, and OziExplorer) is used for drawing the maps. DEM data can be used to give a 3-D effect (Relief shading) to the maps.

    OCAD  (pronounced O-CAD) is the world’s best software for Orienteering, Rogaining, and Adventure Racing.

    Jim prefers to geo-reference his maps wherever possible. He detests inaccurate maps, especially those which are not true to scale.

    A GPS is used to accurately locate tracks, features, etc.

    Jim has a teaching background (18 years as a Secondary School Teacher).

    He has 40 years Search and Rescue (LandSAR) experience, and has been awarded The LandSAR Plaque for outstanding contribution to Search and Rescue. Jim is also a recipient of the NZ Mountain Safety Council Award.

    Jim served for 3 years on the NZ Orienteering Federation (now called Orienteering NZ) Technical Committee, two of which were as NZOF Technical Convenor.

    In 1999 he was awarded the Silva Award by the NZOF for services to orienteering. He is a recognised authority in the use of OCAD software universally used for creating orienteering maps.

    In 2009 Jim was appointed as official cartographer to the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge. This event has over 8,000 participants over several courses.

    My clients call me  “The Map Guy”

    Jim’s Cartography Services has produced cartography for the following Events:

    • Oxfam Trailwalker NZ   – all maps for the Taupō based event (2004 to 2015)
    • Spring Challenge – all girl adventure race, Taupō (2018)
    • Tauranga International Marathon (2017-2019).   Course maps and profiles for Marathon, Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon & 6km
    • Ironman NZ Triathlon   – all course maps and course profiles (2008 to 2013). Profiles since 2013
    • Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge – course maps, profiles, Event management
    • Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Taupō Half Ironman – course maps 2008-2014
    • Ironman 70.3 Taupō – Bike Course profile
    • ISDE2006 (International Six Day Enduro)
    • Hoka One One Half Marathon – both On Road (Taupō) and Off Road (Kinloch) Events
    • Taupō Hoka One One Marathon (2015 to 2021) – course maps and profiles for Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km
    • Auckland Marathon (Course profiles for Marathon, Half Marathon, 12km Traverse)
    • Sika Competition (Taupō), Tahr Competition (Christchurch)
    • 2008 NZ Rogaine Championships
    • 2008 Macpac Autumn Challenge  (All Girl Adventure Race)
    • Brooks Off Road Half Marathon 2009  – run/walk around Mt Tauhara – course map, course profile, Event location
    • Swimming NZ – Epic Swim courses on Lake Taupō
    • Trans Taupō 2012 – 44km paddle race across Lake Taupō (sea kayaks, ocean rowers, waka amas, surf skis, etc)
    • Ironkidz – overall course map for 2013
    • Tri Off Road – course maps for Swim, MTB Bike, Trail Run race
    • 2013 Annies Girls on Bikes Course maps. Event based at Kinloch
    • Auckland 70.3 Ironman (Bike profile)
    • Ruapehu Express – Base Topographical maps
    • Colville Connection (2016) – administration course maps
    • Spirited Women Adventure Race (2017) – Base Topographical maps
    • Ironkidz (2022) – Bike course