It was a trip to Tassie that inspired Obelia McCormack to create a photography app with a difference.

PicTrax is a free app where users upload photos of places they’ve visited which are pinned on a map to make it easier for others to visit and photograph the same location.

“It is a global interactive travel journal,” Obelia said.

When young, Obelia moved from Mullumbimby to Richmond St in Casino with her family. She went to Casino Public School and Casino High.

Her mother now lives in Kyogle and her sister is in Casino. Obelia worked at Crazy Clarks and Woolworths, yet design was always her passion.

After many years working at the Northern Star she headed to the Courier Mail in Brisbane to work on Escape – a travel magazine syndicated around Australia.

After taking voluntary redundancy, she decided to create PicTrax after a visit to Tasmania.

“After spending frustrating days trying to find destinations that people had told me ‘not to miss’, I decided there had to be a better way.

 “One evening we arrived at our accommodation – all set to take in the Bay of Fires at dawn the next day.”

 Obelia charged her camera batteries and set off in the pre-dawn light to take a shot at one of the ‘not to miss’ places.

It was only as the sun rose she realised she was in the wrong place.

“I came home, adamant that I would create the solution that connected people with ‘address less’ destinations, allowing the ability to save future destinations to collections and ‘tap-to-go’ functionality that allows quick access to your chosen destination.”

PicTrax was born.

Sign up to the PicTrax app and enter a $500 photo competition at pictrax.com/competitions/

This article appeared in the Richmond River Independent, 13 January 2021.