Cheapest way of getting a satnav for New Zealand?

[stevem999]

Hi everyone,

Soon to take a trip to NZ and will be driving quite a lot. I've been looking at sat nav suitable for NZ, and it seems limited. I could rent one but will cost about the same as buying one over here it seems.

I'm a user of a venerable Navman N20 and they used to do NZ maps (Navman were an NZ company until Mio took them over), but now don't seem to do any NZ maps for the N series.

So, I'm looking for advice on which direction to take? Anyone got some old N series NZ maps? New cheap sat nav to take with us? Some sort of OPen Source mapping? All ideas appreciated. Many thanks

[theripper]

I was in NZ in November and I bought a NZ map for my TT and it was OK.
Some of the smaller roads were missing but the main roads and Towns and cities were good. Just remember if it would take you 3 hours to get somewhere over here it will probably take you 4 1/2 hours over there, especially the south island.

You could probably buy a basic TT with NZ maps at duty free.

[stevem999]

Thanks for that. I suppose a new SatNav could be the answer. I looked at the website of a couple of electrical/electronic chains in NZ and prices were very high, even for basic equipment, so perhaps duty free is the answer, but not sure how much cheaper that would be anyway?

[theripper]

Just had a look at the NZ Duty free website and as you say they do seem rather expensive! It might be worth getting a basic TT from somewhere like TotalPDA then buying the NZ map from TT like I did.

http://www.totalpda.co.uk/TomTom/TomTom-ONE-XL-UK-Refurbished.7596.html

http://www.tomtom.com/products/maps/select.php?D=23&M=448


BTW
Just checked
300 NZD = £131 approx
But you couldn't use them when you got back.

When are you going and what type of driving will you be doing(I could possibly give you some help/advice if needed.

[stevem999]

Cheers, heading off across the Easter period - 27th March flying out. Not entirely sure where we're driving to be honest. Based with family in Wellington and then to wherever the wind takes us!

The refub TT and a NZ map is over the ton too, it's so annoying when I have a perfectly good satnav but can't get a map for it!

[robertn]

I now live in NZ and have a couple of options that I can use

1) Old Navman 630 - old maps that are just fine 99.999% of the time. Despite what people say, roads don't get built that often, and when they do, it's only the last 250 meters taht are missing.

2) Java/GPS cellphone with the following OPEN source software and maps
GPSMid
Open Street Maps

As a software devleoper I had no problems building an app for NZ. If you PM me an email address or FTP site, I can send you my Jar file.
This option is good, as it's free and I always have it with me. The directions are dodgy and maps not great, just useable. I use it to find where a streets and get directions, but not for use while driving.

3) Last but certainly a nice backup is to use online navigation services on a trusty cellphone. Some are free, but the data gets a bit expensive here.

For a short trip, the cheapest and best option will be to buy a prepay card for a cellphone and use online maps. 2 Degrees do casual data at 50c/MB, and you can buy a prepay card with just $2.00 fro a starter. Telecom and Vodafone do casual data at $1.00/per day for 10 Meg, then $1.00/Meg. a Kiwi $ is about 50 euro 50c

Don't use your UK SIM here. International data is OTT.

If you want to buy, Satnavs are easy to come by in the shops here. Check out second hand ones on www.trademe.co.nz - our version of ebay. Tomtom, garmin and Navman all all widely avalible, as well as others. I would not buy maps for your unit - it will work out cheaper to buy one and sell it when you leave of you go down that path.

Somes places to buy from that have web presence and are nation wide are Dicksmith, supercheapauto and harveynorman.

As for driving in NZ.
Roads are mostly OK, but not motorways or even B roads. Drivers can be pretty aggressive. Budget on average of 90km/hr on state highway 1 (100km limit with an unoffical 10k tolerance by the police (most of the time anyway)). Ask the locals - we have one road thats less than 150km and take 6-7 hours, and many more like it. NZ has small population and big mountains, means money for roads is limited and they tend to have to go over or around hills.

We have an odd and contriversial giveway rule. read up about it... Essentially you give way to any vehcile on your Right. So left turn give way to right turn, and at a T intersection with 2 right turning cars, the guy on the "main" road gives way to guy on the "minor" road.

Watch the sat nav giving priority to "Major" roads - many provincial roads are much shorter and just as fast to drive. I often travel backroads to save time, even if the distance is longer.

[Skippy]

[djc1610]

Just returned from NZ after a 2 month tour.

I used a TT with a TT map and found it very useful. The only two problems with the TT were:

1.It occasionally tried to take me down dirt roads.
2. It was a little off-putting to know that the next turning was 97 km away (Arthur's Pass).

Most drivers were extremely courteous ans stuck to (or very close to) the speed limits as well as obeying most of the road side instructions.

In two months we saw about three police cars and never saw a police man/woman outside of a car.

Meeting so many people (mostly motorhomers) from all over the world in a very friendly atmosphere has made me keen to go back.
_________________
David

VW RNS 510 and TomTom 5200 World

[theripper]

[quote="djchapple"]In two months we saw about three police cars and never saw a police man/woman outside of a car.

This is what I thought until I spoke to the manager of the Camper site near Napier. I said I had not seen many police cars outside of the cities, he told me that they have more unmarked cars than marked cars- so you probably missed them the same as I did.

I also got stopped in a roadblock stopping 3 lanes of traffic beathalysing everybody.

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