This is a handy resource for Google Earth routing and planning .
https://shoddynet.org/articles/projects ... -maps.htmlTwo ways to download: 1/ Click on the link " full list of available maps " and download the files directly .
2/ Download the index and open it in Google Earth and click on a maps icon and a download link opens .
This is easier to see where the map actually covers . Once the 24 images populate the 250K square they show in Temporay folder at the bottom . Just save all the files to GE My Places create a new folder and also to a backup folder in your Documents by right clicking and Save Place AS and that opens up your computer files then search for your folder .
These topo maps give more detail such as property names than plain Google maps or Satellite Images to help routing .
It can be hard to spot dirt roads , tracks and such in GE as vegetation cover can be a problem so clicking the topomap on over the GE Image can help . Be aware that the GE image will be more accurate as far as the shape of a road or track compared to the printed older map . Use the topo as a guide when it's hard to see detail and then click it off and zoom GE into a better detailed view and drag the route to the correct shape and locations on the real world image .
If you build up a file of many of these topo maps to say cover all NSW do not click on the main folder and try to load all the maps at one time , GE will most likely crash . The cache memory is limited . Just expand the folder and click on the few maps you need at a time and click off the ones you have finished with .
The image is with the Nat Map index loaded into GE and the download link behind the thumbnail icon used to download the 24 map images .
Also you can Import those maps to Garmin Basecamp from the backup folder you created on your computer and have an Offline resource but will not load as a base map , you just use them as ovelay images . Shonky Topo will load as a base map choice but is not " Auto " routable " Is Manual routable " . Openstreet routable map for Windows loads as a base map and is Auto routable with some glitches . Cattle grids come up as , "Bollards " in Openstreet map In Garmin Basecamp . So what happens is Basecamp sees a cattle grid as a blocked access , " Bollards block access" So when you try to route across a cattle grid it sometimes refuses and routes around it with some crazy long stupid route you don't want . Sometimes it works right and sometimes not . So the work around is cancel the route and just route to close to the cattle grid and make a second route on the other side of it . Then when you get past the grid cancel the old route and activate the new one . Sometimes you can force it to route past a grid by inserting the correct roads into the bad route and it reroutes automatically but not always .
Once a route is placed into a GPS unit that has a end destination and is auto routing and if you go the wrong way it will reroute you back onto the right course anyway via other roads . Sometimes in the bush it may be better and safer to just turn back the way you came and reacquire the right course as being rerouted onto rough or dangerous roads is a possibility and in that case turn back .