Do you think it's necessary to have a cell phone while traveling in NZ? We'll be doing several hikes I'm thinking it might be good to have.. Also - how is the cell phone service in remote areas? (in the US my cell phone is horrible!!) Can anyone recommend where we could 'rent' a cell phone for two weeks? We're flying into Auckland and out of Queenstown.. and prices?? Thanks!

I certainly don't think it's necessary to have a cell phone while traveling in NZ (or anywhere for that matter) but that's coming from a person who has never owned one.

I spend a great deal of time hiking in NZ and I've never once felt I needed a cell phone, although on our last trip an employee lent us his so we could call for a boat pick up. As expected, it didn't work anyway due to lack of coverage (this was in the Marlborough Sounds).

I suspect cell phone coverage might be a bit spotty on the tracks of NZ, but I have no first hand experience with this.

As far as renting a cell phone in NZ, this site might be helpful:

http://www.vodarent.co.nz/about_phone_rental.htm

In the bush, they use radios and GPS devices. I'd probably just buy a phone card.

hey i thought i might suggest something to you.there is a cellphone rental company I used about 2 yrs ago for my trip to NZ. Travelcell.com they have pretty cheap rates. check em out lemme know. I also googled a few others..btu t hey r cheapest.

Telestial.com <B>sells</b> the whole kit for $40.

Travelcell rents for $15 a week + $20 shipping.

I've always taken a mobile phone with me when travelling overseas, but only as a fallback if family members need to find us in an emergency (elderly parents and all that). On our last trip to North America, though, I discovered that my phone company had inadvertently supplied me with a locked phone, so I couldn't just buy a local SIM card and use the phone in the US and Canada. As it happens it made no real difference - we just bought phone cards and made brief calls home from hotel/motel phones every day or two.

Until the (relatively recent) advent of mobile phones in everyone's pocket we all used to get along pretty well without them when travelling.