Ilona Reynolds Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Has anyone got / used any of the SIM cards you can get from STA travel? Either the Global Travel or the Home & Roam? Just wondering whether they are worth it or whether I should just get an Australia PAYG or contract when I'm out there and use Skype as I'm taking my laptop with me. On a slightly different note does anyone know if I get an iPhone in Australia will it work in the UK when I get back (obviously with a different SIM card)? Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy711 Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hi I got my iphone in the UK and it works in Aus, so I assume it will work the other way around. Also I got a SIM when I got to Sydney it's a pay as you go and works out to $20 a month with 500mb of data included. It's with a company called amaysim. I use the remaining credit at the end of the month to call people back home. Hope that helps! G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Why not get a dongle for your Internet, but be careful some companies have rubbish coverage. For a backpacker I would recommend Bigpond (Telstra) they aren't the cheapest but will give you the best coverage, followed by Optus/Virgin. I would avoid 3 and Vodaphone as even though their coverage maps say it will work in that area they often don't. As long as the phone you get/have is unlocked and you have permission to use overseas (roaming) then it will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hi I got my iphone in the UK and it works in Aus, so I assume it will work the other way around. Also I got a SIM when I got to Sydney it's a pay as you go and works out to $20 a month with 500mb of data included. It's with a company called amaysim. I use the remaining credit at the end of the month to call people back home. Hope that helps! G Amaysim has a good reputation for cheap calls, who is their network provider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppy711 Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 I think they piggy back off Optus. The true test of how good they are will be when I'm out on the road in WA and NT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 I think they piggy back off Optus. The true test of how good they are will be when I'm out on the road in WA and NT. Virgin use the Optus network, that's who we use and we have driven from Melbourne to Darwin via Alice and across to Cairns and back with no problem. Ok you do lose service outside the towns but we have always managed fine, so you should be ok unless you are really outback then I would recommend a sat phone, saying that we have one and have only ever used it once and it wasn't an emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongrel Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 I think they piggy back off Optus. The true test of how good they are will be when I'm out on the road in WA and NT. Good luck , lose Telstra signal about 150 kms out of Perth And patchy after that , satellite fone or Telstra remote area fone best option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jameswhite1 Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 anyone know if Voda in Aus are any good? I have just sorted my working holiday visa through these guys and I got a Voda Sim with the package? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 anyone know if Voda in Aus are any good? I have just sorted my working holiday visa through these guys and I got a Voda Sim with the package? Personally I wouldn't bother you can pick up a sim for $2 with Telstra or Optus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annagilda Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 If you buy an IPhone in Australia, or anywhere for that matter; it has to be factory unlocked to work with other sim cards. The best way to guarantee this is to get it direct from Apple. Lots of the mobile companies lock it to their sim cards. Also, they lock it so that for an example, an Ozzie iPhone on say Vodafone would not work with a UK Vodafone sim card, so it needs to be factory unlocked direct from Apple and then you'll be grand. With regards to using Vodafone in Australia, I found that when I was in the cities, they were great, however when I went into the more remote areas, or even just regional towns they were useless, my phone just became a paper weight. If you are sticking to just the built up city areas, they are fine and dirt cheap too! If you will be traveling outside of those areas though, someone like Telstra; although a little bit dearer will serve you well. :-) x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilona Reynolds Posted June 4, 2013 Author Share Posted June 4, 2013 Thanks for all the tips guys! Need to sit and get my head around it all but you've definitely been helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycrfc1 Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 I dont know what Im going to do with my mobile phone contract... anyone been in this position before? Im planning on travelling to Melbourne from Scotland in November but I will still have about 1 year left on my mobile phone contract... do you guys know if theres anything that can be done in terminating that contract rather than paying it outright?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terriokane Posted June 11, 2013 Share Posted June 11, 2013 Hey, I only arrived in Oz a month ago and was in the exact same situation as you, i decided to wait and get a sim in oz and glad i did. Make sure your phone is unlocked before you come out and but either Telstra or Optus (ran off virgin) when you get here. You can buy them in most shops. They call topping up over here a recharge. Its no hassle getting a sim here and a lot better and cheaper than getting an sta one. I'm with optus and have great coverage with them. I know a few with Vodafone and they said how bad they are. With optus i get 250 free UK minutes so i can call home for FREE and always have minutes left. Unlike the UK your money doesnt run over to the next month so when you recharge with say $30 and have money left over by your next recharge date you lose it so i just waste it on internet, calls etc. With regards to iphone, mine from the UK worked ok as a had it unlocked so the other way around should be grand. When you coming to OZ? What part you coming too? Have you set up your bank account yet? I was able to set up mine with NAB (bank) online before i left which meant they had my cards already waiting when i got here. I was so home sick the first week i got here and now don't want to go home! Enjoy, any other questions just ask or private mail me. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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