Garmin Road & Rec

[b4time]

Does anyone have a copy of Garmin's Road & Rec for New Zealand I can borrow a copy of ?
My Garmin is a European version so it has the Europe base maps.
I do have the Garmin World map with me but the datail in NZ is real sketchy.

I can swap a copy of the US road & rec or Europe road & rec (includes the world map).

Cheers

[Paul in NZ]

Why? It's a small place, well signposted...

[b4time]

At home if I see a sign that says Birmingham one direction and Oxford in the other I know where I am & which direction I'm going but here I recognise few place names and am not exactly sure of the location of the places I do recognise the names of.

Also the sun being in the other half of the sky is really screwing with my sense of direction.

Yes I could rely entirely on maps but I'll end up stopping at almost every junction to check my route - which will wear thin pretty soon.

And I like pretty toys

[vifferman]

Also the sun being in the other half of the sky is really screwing with my sense of direction.

It's trooooo, Jimmie! It does!
Probably not a big deal at some times of the year, but I found the same thing when I went to northwestern USA in January. I was told that I would think directions were back-to-front because of the sun being in the wrong quadrant, and didn't believe it till I experienced it.

Yes I could rely entirely on maps but I'll end up stopping at almost every junction to check my route - which will wear thin pretty soon.

And I like pretty toys

Plus he needs summat to do to keep his mind occupied, so his thoughts don't drift to the Dark Side. I've got dangerous things in the gargre, like axes, chisels, a chainsaw and other powertools...

[skelstar]

Ok Im a bit confused about the 'road and rec' thing but am assuming its maps for your Garmin reciever.
If you want open source maps for NZ then checkout this site. I have them downloaded on my garmin etrex legend.

http://gwprojects.orcon.net.nz/gps/

[Paul in NZ]

Hey - fair enough, if you want a nice shiney bauble but the realitiy of NZ is that the roads are well sign posted and the basic layout of the place is pretty simple.

The wrong roads turn into unsealed goat racks very quickly (alerting you to the fact that you have made a wrong turn) and a basic knowledge of the places geography means you can't go too far in the wrong direction without seeing an ocean, a mountain, a feckin big river or a town (better get gas here) where you can ask the locals in a charming accent thus assuring them that you are not from around here (they knew that already) or from Auckland.

So while there are one or 2 places in NZ where you can technically get lost....

Why risk ruining a good trip by gazing at some sort of mad one eyed techno robot thingie barking directions at you like a P'd up ex wife when you could be enjoying the scenery... Naturally if you feel you possibly can't leave home without the security of something 'technical' you had better make sure the thing is VERY securely bolted on to your bike because if it looks like it might be worth more than a $100 at the local cash converters (proudly and unwittingly supporting local burglers for more than 5 years). It WILL disappear! Naturally I suppose you can detatch it from the bike with ease and carry it with you while it whispers menacingly, 'You shouldn't have done that Hal..." interspersed with mad instructions to 'Turn Left in 300 klicka sporans' while it's trying to hump your Ipod or arranging a 3some with your digital camera in your backpack (sorry, laptop case)....

If you are still worried...

Go here

http://www.nowwhere.com.au/bp/nzlocator/search.aspx

Hit the trip planner link and away yer go...

Me? I carry a map, look useless and ask the lady at the gas station....

[skelstar]

Hey - fair enough, if you want a nice shiney bauble but the realitiy of NZ is that the roads are well sign posted and the basic layout of the place is pretty simple.....

I bought my GPS because it was trademe-cheap and Ive always wanted one. Ive wanted on when I have been tramping, Ive wanted one when Ive been doing alpine stuff (sometimes I REALLY wanted one) and now Im going to be touring a bit and I found one, then great, ill get it. Besides I love gadgets, its got a screen, some buttons, is waterproof, and it like 'talks to satelites man'!
Best of all, it tells me how fast Im riding (actual), max speed, direction, trip meter (not fuel gague meter), time moving, time elapsed, time stopped, altitude etc. Oh yeah, I think it has a map on there somewhere too.
*phew* rant over. EOT.

[Paul in NZ]

Best of all, it tells me how fast Im riding (actual), max speed, direction, trip meter (not fuel gague meter), time moving, time elapsed, time stopped, altitude etc. Oh yeah, I think it has a map on there somewhere too.
*phew* rant over. EOT.

Oh great... Evidence....

[b4time]

Why risk ruining a good trip by gazing at some sort of mad one eyed techno robot thingie barking directions at you like a P'd up ex wife when you could be enjoying the scenery...

Exactly the opposite.
The GPS says next turning you need is in 20 miles so I enjoy the scenery and dont bother looking at direction signs or the map for the next 18 miles and only glance at the map & gps for the mile before the junction & the mile after.
Then it's back to the scenery.

[oldrider]

Once you are out of Auckland you will never need said gizzmo again.
I am not anti gadgit it's just that this is a very small country and you don't get lost here. Maybe temporarily confused but not lost. May meet you on your travels. :spudwave: Cheers John.

[Ixion]

Once you are out of Auckland you will never need said gizzmo again.
I am not anti gadgit it's just that this is a very small country and you don't get lost here. Maybe temporarily confused but not lost. May meet you on your travels. :spudwave: Cheers John.

Good one that. I must remember it to rebutt Mrs Ixion the next time she says "Admit it, you're lost again, aren't you"

The problem with such gadgets is they assume (a) that you know where you intend to go ; (b) that you will still have that same intention when you get there ; (c) that the original place of intention will not be replaced by a more interesting place en route; and (d) that you actually really intended to go anywhere in particular in the first place.

If one is simply going to decide to go to A, and go directly there- well, yeah, that makes it simple. But who does that. If I set out to go to Whangarei , I very probably end up in Raglan. or New Plymouth. Or an indeterminate cross roads somewhere miles from anywhere.

[b4time]

With a name like that I assume that you are on ixion.org.uk

I'm good friends with, and used to work with mlh and know Ben Lovejoy quite well. I've met a few others (including adamanda) at the Nurbergring.