Travelling to New Zealand? Here's why you probably still need an eSIM

New Zealand feels like an extension of home, and a lot of Australians assume their phone plan treats it that way. Some plans do. Most don't. The difference is the gap between a free trip and a A$70 surprise on your next bill.

Here's how to find out which side you're on, and what to do about it.

Check your plan first

Some Australian plans genuinely include New Zealand. At the time of writing:

• Vodafone includes roaming in New Zealand on several postpaid plans as part of its A$5 roaming or included-roaming inclusions. Check your specific plan.

• Optus includes a set number of roaming days on some higher-tier plans, and charges around A$5 a day otherwise.

• Telstra charges the International Day Pass at around A$10 a day for most plans, with some premium plans including a handful of roaming days per year.

Log in to your carrier's app and search for "roaming" or "New Zealand" before you fly. If it's included, great. If you see a daily rate, keep reading.

What a week in New Zealand costs on a day pass

Seven days at A$5 is A$35. At A$10 it's A$70. Ten days at A$10 is A$100. And the daily data allowance on a day pass is small, which matters when you're using Google Maps for a road trip and uploading photos of Milford Sound.

What a New Zealand eSIM costs

Roamly's New Zealand plans at the time of writing:

• 3GB for 15 days: A$7.45

• 5GB for 30 days: A$15.45

• 10GB for 30 days: A$26.40

• 20GB for 30 days: A$47.45

For a week's ski trip or a South Island road trip, 5GB covers most people, particularly with hotel and Airbnb Wi-Fi in the evenings. Go 10GB if you're navigating all day and posting as you go.

There's also an Australia and New Zealand bundle that works in both countries, useful for anyone touring both or for New Zealanders heading this way.

Coverage: what to expect

New Zealand's networks are good in the places you'll spend most of your time. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown all have 4G and 5G. State Highway 1 and the main tourist routes have coverage most of the way.

Where it drops out is exactly where you'd expect: Fiordland, the West Coast beyond the towns, the Catlins, and on multi-day tracks like the Milford and Routeburn. That's true for every network and every SIM, local or otherwise. Download offline maps for the South Island before you leave.

Roamly's New Zealand plans run on 4G across the major local networks. The specific network is listed on the plan page.

The setup

1. Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home before you fly. It takes two minutes. Here's the step-by-step guide.

2. When you land, switch mobile data to the eSIM and turn on data roaming for that line.

3. Turn data roaming off on your Australian line. Your number still works for calls and texts, and your bank codes still arrive.

The one case where you don't need this

If your plan includes New Zealand roaming, use it. A short trip on an included roaming allowance is the simplest option there is. The eSIM is for everyone else, which is most people.

See New Zealand eSIM plans, or compare the numbers in eSIM vs international roaming.