Australian police warn against using Apple Maps due to stranded motorists

Queue the Apple Maps jokes.

Australian police are warning drivers to be careful when using the Apple Maps app. The notice was issued after several calls to rescue "distressed motorists" who were reportedly navigating through city streets, but ended up in a national park over 40 miles away.

The Victoria, Australia police say that Apple's mapping system lists the city of Mildura in the middle of Murray Sunset National Park. The concern is over the park's high temperatures -- about 115 degrees -- and lack of water supply.

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According to CNET, police have rescued six stranded motorists.

"Some of the motorists located by police have been stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water and have walked long distances through dangerous terrain to get phone reception," Victoria police said in a statement.

"Anyone travelling[sic] to Mildura or other locations within Victoria should rely on other forms of mapping until this matter is rectified."

Victoria police say they have reported the issues to Apple. The company did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment.

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Apple's iOS6 Maps causing ire

Apple maps came under fire when it launched with the tech giant's latest mobile operating system iOS 6, which dropped Google Maps in favor of its own mapping app. Users complained of missing landmarks, wrong directions and the lack of public transportation directions.

Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to customers a week later and said the company was working to make Maps better. However, the senior vice president of iOS 6 software Scott Forstall reportedly refused to join in Cook's apology.

Forstall and Apple Maps manager Eddie Cue were both reportedly fired due the mapping app's "bungled introduction," Bloomberg reports.

[58kiwi]

Story brought to you by Google/Samsung. Just goes to show you, some people are just not ready for the 19th century. Australians are much like Americans, they take no responsibility for any act of stupidity; always someone else's' fault. i want to go to a city so I head into the national park, rather than zoom out a couple of inches and check the route and destination. Bottom line, if you're stupid and can't think for yourself, buy an Android based device. Apple products are more for the higher end of the evolutionary scale. Apple had no choice but to discontinue Google maps. Google was withholding the maps turn-by-turn functionality from Apple and that was putting the iPhone at a disadvantage. By dumping Google Maps and introducing Apple's own TbT functionality it forces Google to reintroduce their Maps as a standalone app on iPhone. A win for Apple but with the PR hit. Totally support Apple's decision. This is Google playing games at the public's expense. Apple Maps is a great application. Still a work in progress but I use this all the time and have no issues with it. Miss Google street view but that is still available as needed.

[Scimajor]

I own and love my PC, I have an Android table but I also own an iPhone 4S. I see value in all the platforms.

I was, however, greatly disappointed with "maps". If I could downgrade my phone back to IOS 5, so I could use Google Maps again, I would. Maps is the worst mapping system I've ever used by far.

[Forty-Four]

Never really been an Apple fan. I'm a PC

[58kiwi]

Gee, thanks for the insightful comment. I have to admire your honesty though, not everyone can openly discuss their disabilities and shortcomings in public, you're making good progress.