Travelling to Australia, currently with Skinny (no roaming data available), what are my options?

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josephhinvest

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#154233 21-Oct-2014 19:49

Can anyone suggest a good option for me? I'm currently with Skinny, and am a happy customer. I'm travelling in a week to Australia for 10 days, and would like mobile data if at all possible. Unfortunately Skinny have no provision for roaming data.
So it seems my options would be:
1. Buy a new NZ SIM from Voda/Spark/2degrees and use it temporarily. This would be okay, but obviously would require a temporary phone number, not a big problem. Am a little concerned with iMessage coping with changing number and then back. Roaming rates seem ok but not brilliant.
2. Buy a new Australian SIM upon arrival. Same potential problems with iMessage? Not sure of what deals are available, or any other caveats.
3. Buy or borrow a mobile data "vodem" and use this with either a NZ or AUS SIM. A bit of a hassle to have another device but would not interfere with my exisiting SIM. Advantage that my wife would also have access to data.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Joseph

josephhinvest

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#1159538 21-Oct-2014 19:51

Just to add. I do not wish to change provider for my normal NZ account has my house has zero Vodafone or 2degrees service. Skinny currently gives me a good deal, I like lots of data and don't care much for minutes.

Behodar

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#1159540 21-Oct-2014 19:53

I just got back from AU today, and I was with Skinny too. I switched to Spark for the month (ported my number) and used the $10 roaming. Admittedly the main reason for going to Spark was to get an iPhone 6 :)

I see that Optus has $2 SIMs but I don't know what the data prices are like. My phone mainly stuck to Telstra (I believe that this is Spark's preferred partner network) but switched over to Optus in Palm Beach - this would seem to indicate that Telstra has poor coverage there (on the off chance that that's where you're going!)

I know that this isn't too helpful - it's just a bit of a "brain dump" of my experiences over the past week :)

ajobbins

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#1159552 21-Oct-2014 20:09

I sell AU SIMs on Trade Me and I'd be happy to sort you out for a discounted price ($10 shipped).

When do you leave?

How much data do you need?

Calls/Text in AU?

Calls/Texts back to NZ?

City or rural?

Twitter: ajobbins

josephhinvest

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#1159559 21-Oct-2014 20:15

Thanks for comments.

ajobbins; thanks for that, I may well enquire if my current Plan A (below) won't work. :)

This Optus prepaid wifi modem looks like a pretty sweet deal. $119AUS for 5 GB data, for two people (10 days, two people is only about $6AUS per day each), also both my parents are going too and would also use it, looks like a pretty good deal. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Joseph

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#1159563 21-Oct-2014 20:23

$2 for 500bm $4 for 1024mb / d

http://www.optus.com.au/shop/mobile/prepaid/plans?SID=con:hme:predata:premob:afeat:verd:abtpl#daily-plus

josephhinvest

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#1159565 21-Oct-2014 20:31

joker97: $2 for 500bm $4 for 1024mb / d

http://www.optus.com.au/shop/mobile/prepaid/plans?SID=con:hme:predata:premob:afeat:verd:abtpl#daily-plus

Wow those prices are pretty damn good. But the issue is what device do I use? I guess put their SIM in my phone. I wonder if internet sharing via a personal hotspot will work?
Thanks for that link

Cheers,
Joseph

jnimmo

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#1159567 21-Oct-2014 20:37

Yeah I've used an Optus microsim a few times now I managed to hack it down to a nano sim with a breadknife.
Anyway - yes you can share via personal hotspot.
From memory I think I had to use wifi somewhere to activate the SIM in the first place, but now it is easy I can just top up before I leave NZ
$2/day for 500MB, including as much Australian calling & texting as you like

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josephhinvest

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#1159570 21-Oct-2014 20:39

Hold the phone, Optus also have a 3G wifi modem for $69 that also has 5GB data. Slower; yes, but cheaper, much!
This will be A$3.50 each for 250MB per day over 10 days.

ajobbins

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#1159666 21-Oct-2014 22:58

Personally, I find hotspots a pain. They batteries aren't all that good and if the both of you are sharing, you'd both have to be in range to have data.

Unless you need to take calls on your NZ number, I'd get a SIM each and either use Optus $2 days if you don't need to do any NZ calling or txting, or Amaysim with a $10 for 1GB data pack on each. (Or $20 for 2.5GB from memory. If you need calling, just add some credit for that.

All Australian SIMs need to be activated with ID either online or in store before use.

Twitter: ajobbins

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#1159701 22-Oct-2014 08:01

josephhinvest: Hold the phone, Optus also have a 3G wifi modem for $69 that also has 5GB data. Slower; yes, but cheaper, much!
This will be A$3.50 each for 250MB per day over 10 days.

Have you ever travelled? Just to save a coffee you want to lug a brick and its charger and fiddle with it etc etc etc

old3eyes

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#1159737 22-Oct-2014 08:55

I found WiFi hot spots on the Goldcoast back in July non existent except McDs and they were real slow. Optus SIM is the way to go as far as I'm concerned unless you're on 2Degrees..

Regards,

Old3eyes

josephhinvest

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#1159822 22-Oct-2014 10:29

ajobbins- yes you have a valid point. There will be an element of inconvience with a hotspot, but I think it probably balances with the convenience of keeping same number and not changing SIMs in at least two, if not 3 or 4 devices.

Joker97 - yep we have travelled. I agree it's another device to carry, but we have the same accomodation for the whole time, the same rental van for same time. Also will be travelling with wife, three kids and my parents too (!) so it's not like we're travelling light! :)

Cheers,
Joseph

eXDee

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#1159824 22-Oct-2014 10:34

A hotspot might be okay if you have one of those 5000-10000mah portable batteries to charge it off, then you can just leave it running off that in a backpack or something.

But i just swap to a $2 days sim from Optus. Cheap as and flexible.

timmmay

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#1159835 22-Oct-2014 10:39

I bought a VodaFone AU SIM in Sydney airport last time I was there.