'Hello Possums,' Dame Edna voices Whereis app

Who really wants to be ordered around city streets by a vanilla, sometime robotic, voice when they can be directed by Jennifer Hawkins?

Available now and free to download, the Whereis iPhone app ‘Celebrity Voices’ provides voice guided turn-by-turn navigation from Jennifer Hawkins, Dame Edna Everage or Nick Giannopoulos as ‘The Wog Boy’.

“We’re proud to be able to offer a comprehensive mapping experience complete with spoken turn-by-turn directions for all iPhone users in Australia. The App will help Australians get to their destination more easily, and ensure each journey is an entertaining one,” said Carl Rigoni, Sensis Product Executive General Manager.

It could become grating through repetition rather quickly, but the celebrity voices were chosen for their ability to inject some fun and humour into the navigation experience. The Whereis app allows users to change between personalities at the touch of a button, and get some quirky voice commands including:

“Roaaaaaad triiiiiiiiiiiiip!” – Jennifer Hawkins

“I felt safe with you… isn't that spooky?” – Dame Edna Everage

“You, me, this car... mate we're going places!” – Nick Giannopoulos as ‘The Wog Boy’

“Whether on foot or in the car, the Whereis® iPhone app allows Australians to search for addresses, places of interest and businesses, and be directed straight there with the commands from some of the most recognisable voices in Australia,” said Rigoni.

“Mapping and navigation is now the most popular online mobile activity in Australia. We understand that consumers are expecting more and more from their phones, so we wanted to do something fun – we hope that our users enjoy the experience,” he said.

“If you need directions, it’s always best to ask a local. Whereis is your local map provider with local market knowledge,” said Rigoni.

Utilising over 1.4 million points of interest including petrol stations, ATMs, restaurants, car parks and more, the Whereis iPhone app also enables consumers to drop points of interest on their map with the tap of a button, locate themselves on a map and get directions to a location with or without road tolls.

The celebrities themselves found the idea a bit of fun: “It is a little bit embarrassing though to hear my own voice, but it's a cheeky idea, so I'm all for it.” said super-model Jennifer Hawkins.

Dame Edna Everage was somewhat more pragmatic: “I’m thrilled to have my voice added to Whereis because it really is something they should have thought of a long time ago. I’ve sat in cars listening to boring people, telling my driver where to go and frankly these voices need to be voices with personality and that’s what I’ve injected into my directions,” Dame Edna said.