Offline maps in New Zealand: what still works when there's no signal

Most of us only notice a map needs the internet when it stops loading. A grey screen on a back road, a tramp with no coverage, a storm that knocks out the power and the connection together.

The fix is simple and mostly free: put the map on your device before you need it. Here's what works offline in New Zealand, what each option can and can't do, and how to set it up.

Why bother?

Get Ready, New Zealand's Civil Defence site, plans for the long version of this. It says that in an emergency you may be stuck at home for three days or more. It also notes that a flood, snow storm or major traffic accident could leave you stranded in your car for some time. In both cases your phone may have charge but no data.

The US government's Ready.gov puts it plainly too: its basic emergency kit list includes local maps, right next to the torch and the first aid kit.

A map you've already downloaded keeps working when the signal doesn't. It's a ten-minute job on a good connection.

Option 1: Google Maps offline areas

Most people already have Google Maps, and it can save an area for offline use. Search for a place, open its details, and choose "Download offline map", or go to your profile picture, then Offline maps, then "Select your own map" and drag the box over the area you want.

What works offline, according to Google's own help page:

• Driving directions work, as long as the entire route is inside your downloaded area.
• Walking, cycling and public transport directions don't. Google says those are unavailable offline.
• No live traffic or alternate routes while you're offline.

The catch is expiry. Downloaded areas have to be updated before they expire. If an area is within 15 days of expiring and you're on Wi-Fi, Google Maps tries to update it automatically, and you can turn on auto-update in the offline maps settings. If you set it up once and forget about it, check it's still there before a trip.

Good for: driving around a region you know you'll visit. Watch for: walking routes and the expiry date.

Option 2: Organic Maps

Organic Maps is a free, open-source map app for Android and iPhone, built on OpenStreetMap data. Its website says it supports all of its features without an internet connection, with no ads and no tracking.

That includes things Google's offline mode leaves out:

• turn-by-turn navigation for walking, cycling and driving;
• hiking trails and cycling routes;
• contour lines, elevation profiles and peaks.

You download New Zealand (or a region of it) inside the app, once, on Wi-Fi. After that it doesn't need a connection for anything. For tramping, cycling or just walking home across an unfamiliar town with no data, it's the most complete free option on a phone.

Good for: walking and tramping, and anyone who wants the whole country on the phone. Watch for: OpenStreetMap is built by volunteers, so check remote details against an official map.

Option 3: LINZ Topo50 for the backcountry

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) makes the official topographic maps. The Topo50 series covers the New Zealand mainland and the Chatham Islands at 1:50,000, and Topo250 covers the same area at 1:250,000. LINZ lets you download digital images of most of its maps from its website, for viewing on screen or printing.

A printed Topo50 sheet for the area you're heading into needs no battery and no signal at all. It's the one map on this list that still works with a flat phone.

Good for: tramping, hunting and rural trips. Watch for: a sheet covers a small area, so print the ones you need.

Which should you use?

For most people in New Zealand, a sensible setup is:

1. Organic Maps on your phone, with New Zealand downloaded. It covers walking, driving and tramping offline.
2. Google Maps offline areas for where you drive often, with auto-update switched on.
3. A printed Topo50 sheet if you're going into the hills.
4. A map on your laptop too, if you want a bigger screen at home when the power or internet is out.

Do it on Wi-Fi, at home, today. Then switch on flight mode and check you can still see your street. That one check is the whole test.

A map on the laptop

Phones are great until the battery runs low. A laptop gives you a bigger screen to plan from and a second battery to lean on. The options there are fewer: most offline map apps are built for phones. One approach is a local map file opened in a browser, which works the same on Windows and Mac.

That's what the Offline Brain download includes: an NZ map pack built from OpenStreetMap data, 634 MB for the whole country, readable with no signal, alongside offline Wikipedia, WikiMed and your own offline AI. It's NZ$49 (US$29 in the US, with a US state map pack instead), one payment.