Stephen Jones

I will be in NZ in 6 weeks time

If I want to talk to employers, job agencies etc while I am there would it be best to have a New Zealand sim card?

Steve

Purrball

Think so. Suspect that otherwise, local calls to you will pick up your roaming charges, which may piss some people off.

Maybe pick up a cheap or second-hand unlocked mobile before you go, just a feature phone — which is what I did — doesn't need to be a smartphone... and use that, keeping your main phone on (but on in airplane mode to avoid data and call roaming charges) so that you can be easily contacted from the UK.

When last there, sim cards weren't free like they generally are in the UK. In a shop in the Auckland domestic terminal, couldn't get a Two Degrees sim (generally cheaper rates) to work in my backup mobile, so went into a Vodafone store for a PAYG sim when I got to my first main destination. Think it cost maybe $NZ15-25, something like that, but came with a call and text allowance which you could top-up online.

Found wifi a bit scarcer than London or New York, especially in suburban or rural coffee places. McDonalds tended to have free wifi as well as libraries. The city-wide wifi in Wellington was a bit patchy but once in a hotspot, pretty good for just picking up emails.

Even though I checked beforehand on the various NZ network websites — Vodafone, Two Degrees, Telecom etc. — whether my old phone would work, it didn't, except on Vodafone, even though it was a quad band phone. Could be wrong, but think Vodafone has the best coverage, especially out of town, but they're not the cheapest.

Also, generally speaking, I found some smaller businesses were pretty slack about emails. One small hotel lost my business because they didn't confirm a change in booking, went somewhere else instead.

If you use any social networking sites, don't be surprised if some of them freak out a little and grill you if you're logging in on a third party machine with a kiwi ip address.

Hope that's a starter. All the best for your trip.

jmh

UK phones are usually locked so unless you get it unlocked it won't work here. NZ phones on the other hand are unlocked (or should be) so once you buy one you can use any sim. You can pick up a cheap pre-pay phone at most places that sell phones (not sure how you will get it sent to you) and that will save you having to swap over your sim cards in your current phone. Telecom has the best coverage over the whole of NZ, but you may find others are better in particular areas. I can get Telecom on Waiheke Island but not Vodafone. 2 Degrees is cheaper (although Telecom has come down in price a lot lately), but it uses the Vodafone network so same coverage problems. 2 Degrees has limited coverage so check their website.

Dick Smith are selling a cheap phone for $29: http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/unlocked-...20-dsnz-em0082

To get the best response to applications it is best if you have a NZ phone (can be mobile) and address.

pixiewink

When we came over I already had a Vodafone mobile, so we just purchased a NZ Vodafone sim card when we arrived and popped it into our original phones...and away you go.....

moonie2011

Go to Warehouse, we got a basic phone for $49 which included $20 on the sim, recently they were $9.99!! saves the hassle of getting your UK phone unlocked etc

LauraNotts

You can get $5 2degrees sim cards and a $94 dollar basic smart phone from Noel Leeming. If you use the $19 carryover combo from them it's pretty decent. I've been here 6 weeks and topped up twice but have had plenty of texts, minutes and data. It's FAR FAR FAR cheaper than a plan.

Charismatic

$10-30 for a basic phone and sim.

Would buy a smart phone though with GPS/maps and wireless mobile if you new and need to find your way around.

Stephen Jones

Thanks for the advice all.

M_and_M

Yes, definitely. Get your phone unlocked, then simply pick up a sim for $5 at the airport! I switch between SIM cards depending what country I am in.