GPS Hardware & Software

We've been living in Switzerland for the last couple of years and our TomTom has been a Godsend for getting around in Europe - we'd probably have been literally (in the true sense of the word) lost somewhere without it.

When we return to Oz in a couple of months we'll bring it with us UNLESS I learn in the next few weeks that I cannot load Aussie data into it, hence this query.

A GPS navigation comprises Hardware (probably made in the Far East), Software (specified in Europe or the US I suppose, I cannot imagine the OZ market is large enough for Aust s'ware specification to be economically justifiable) and the Application Data - the maps - for Australia. Ah ha, the maps.

Are the map offerings in Oz all from the same source and simply "badged" with various names or are there genuinely different mapping products.
If so, is there a consensus on which is the best?

Most of the time we'd use the GPS for city/urban/suburban directions - but when going bush probably not a great deal: I know how to get to "Woop Woop" generally but once there it could be helpful to be able to enter GPS co-ordinates and be told what to do. Amazing really, I've managed in the Outback all these years without a GPS so I probably won't need one in the future, however .................

The FNQ trip to CY in 2010 is unlikely to need a GPS, you'd all agree.

I'll be interested to see what the cognoscenti have to say in reply.

Cheers, and thanks,
DickyBeach