If you are an experienced New Zealand surveyor, angler, hunter, or other outdoor pursuit enthusiast you’re likely to already be familiar with the official LINZ ‘NZTopo’ Topographic Map Series, traditionally purchased as printed paper maps. These topo maps have now been made even easier to use and access through New Zealand Topographic Map.

Overlaying the official LINZ topo maps on top of Google Maps provides a level of topographic detail simply not available through Google Maps alone. Both the Topo250 and Topo50 map series are made available for New Zealand, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands.

Place name searching allows hard-to-find streams, peaks, huts, and other land features to be tracked down easily. If you want to share a location with a friend you can even add a map pin and label to the map, then send a link. More advanced users can add their own KML overlay they’ve created in Google Earth. You can even embed mini topo maps in your own website or blog.

For access to topo maps while on-the-road a mobile version of the service is available for iPhones, Android devices and other smart-phones. If available, the devices built-in GPS capabilities can even be used by the service to pin-point your current location on the map.

Bonus:  Top 50 Topographic Maps for New Zealand