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We are traveling around south island of NZ for 3 weeks in sept 2012 and need to have mobile phone for sms contact as well as making some calls. We will also have an iPad and mobile phone which we would check weather and some surfing of the internet but no downloads. We have australian vodafone plans which we can roam on but want to know if there is a really good mobile & or data plan for travelers. Data can be used on mobile to tether to iPad.
I would go for a prepaid SIM card with Vodafone, Telecom or 2degrees. However, you have to be prepared that you will not have any or only patchy coverage in various regions, for example the West Coast of the South Island, Banks Peninsula, the Catlins, etc. You might want to establish some Skype to go numbers for areas with connection problems. In most motels you can purchase or have internet access for free, at least for the first however many MBs. In hotels internet use often costs a fortune, so if you plan to spend any times in cities and not just in remote areas it surely pays to get a SIM card/data plan. I think plans start at NZ$ 30 or 35. http://www.vodafone.co.nz/ http://www.telecom.co.nz/home http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/home
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The cheapest way to make phone calls are phone cards and Skype to go. Phone cards have the advantage that you can make phone calls from any phone. You can upload as much as you want, price starts at NZ$ 10. This credit lasts forever if you choose the provider that is best for your needs. (With GoTalk, for example, for NZ$ 10 I can call Germany for 240 mins.) You have to look closely and make sure that the provider does not charge connection fees or a daily amount. There are different cards which are best for various countries, so check the tariffs. You can also check the weather on the daily news (on Breakfast TV and near the end of the evening news shortly before 7pm), and for more specific information you can ask at local tourist offices (i-site) and DOC offices which you find in all areas with a lot of nature and where you would go for walks/hikes.
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Thank you Kekapo2
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2degrees is a great and inexpensive way to get a phone perfect for calling and texting. For NZ$60 (~$48 in the US), I got a phone, SIM card, 100 minutes of talk time, two months of 5,000 texts each, and NZ$5 worth of credit on the phone. This can be used to buy more national minutes and texts or for international texts (9 cents each) and international calls (44 cents/minute). I did not look into rates for downloading abilities and data plans, but I found these rates to be very reasonable and among the least expensive. So far the plan works great and the phone is extremely durable; I have no worries about it lasting the entirety of my trip!
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