How to Read an Area Reference

Sometimes people need to find a general area, rather than a specific point on a map. An area reference will allow you find a general location in a grid square. Area references comprise four-figure numbers.
Topographic maps have a grid of lines drawn on them. You can see the lines, some horizontal, some vertical, and each line has a number corresponding to it.
Now coming to a more simple map you can see that the vertical lines are called eastings - and that is because they travel from west to east.
The horizontal lines on the other hand are called northings - and we call them northings because they travel from south to north.
When reading an Area reference you always read the easting first and the northing second.
The map is Sourced from NZ Topo Database. Crown Copyright Reserved.