Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Telephone
Telecom New Zealand
(
www.telecom.co.nz
) The key domestic player, with a stake in the
local mobile (cell) market.
Vodafone
(
www.vodafone.co.nz
) Mobile-network option.
2 Degrees
(
www.2degreesmobile.co.nz
) Mobile-network option.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phone numbers are preceded by the prefix 021, 022, 025 or 027.
Mobile phone coverage is good in cities and towns and most parts of the North Island, but
can be patchy away from urban centres on the South Island.
If you want to bring your own phone and use a prepaid service with a local SIM card,
Vodafone is a practical option. Any Vodafone shop (found in most major towns) will set
you up with a SIM card and phone number (about $40); top-ups can be purchased at
newsagencies, post offices and petrol stations practically anywhere.
Alternatively, if you don't bring your own phone from home, you can rent one from
Vodafone Rental
(
www.vodarent.co.nz
) from $5 per day (for which you'll also need a
local SIM card), with pick-up and drop-off outlets at NZ's major airports. We've also had
some positive feedback on
Phone Hire New Zealand
(
www.phonehirenz.com
)
which
hires out mobile phones, SIM cards, modems and GPS systems.
Local Calls
Local calls from private phones are free! Local calls from payphones cost $1 for the first
15 minutes, and $0.20 per minute thereafter, though coin-operated payphones are scarce
(and if you do find one, chances are the coin slot will be gummed up); you'll generally
need a phonecard. Calls to mobile phones attract higher rates.
International Calls
Payphones allow international calls, but the cost and international dialling code for calls
varies by provider. International calls are relatively inexpensive and subject to specials
that reduce the rates even more, so it's worth shopping around - consult the
Yellow
Pages
for providers.
To make international calls from NZ, you need to dial the international access code
00, then the country code and the area code (without the initial
0). So for a London
number, you'd dial 00-44-20, then the number.
If dialling NZ from overseas, the country code is
64, followed by the appropriate
area code minus the initial
0.
