I have been busy trying to fill in gaps of knowledge needed to make our adventure smooth and seamless. The issue of using a cell phone that works in New Zealand has been difficult, as I mentioned before. My Verizon iPhone will not work on the networks in NZ and I made a decision to purchase the new unlocked iPhone 6 plus despite not really needing a new iPhone.
However, what I learned about this is the following: Apple advertised that the new unlocked iPhones could be used with any carrier world-wide. What they didn't tell you is they are not available and they don't know when they will be available. They are selling only phones specific to either ATT or Verizon in the USA and this kind of irks me because this unlocked phone that could be used with T-mobile or Sprint, etc. are not available. Clearly they are bowing to pressure from the major carriers at this point in time.
Finally, I decided to purchase an unlocked GSM phone on Amazon for use in NZ. I bought a Nokia X6 for $66.00 and will purchase a SIM card in NZ. At least I then will be able to make calls and receive emergency calls from the USA should that be necessary.
It seems that most motels and hotels have Wi-Fi access so I can send and receive emails while on our journey and hopefully update my blog.
GPS Devices:
Since data is costly in NZ, and since I can't get a new iPhone that could use Google maps anyway, I decided to rent an automobile with GPS. The cost is about $10 NZD per day ($6.40 US per day) but purchasing a Garmin with NZ map download was more expensive. The Garmin Map software for NZ is about $160 US Garmin NZ/Australia Maps. Thus, renting the automobile with GPS is about a wash, since it is unlikely I will be using the New Zealand mapping software frequently in the future. You can find some used SIM cards with the mapping software on E-Bay for about a third of this price, but one never knows if it will truly work in the phone that you have. Generally returns are not accepted on E-Bay.
Inter-Island Ferry
If you are a senior (> age 60) you can get better ferry rates that younger travelers. The ferry travels between Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island and travels twice daily. Transit time is 3.5 hours and the cost for two seniors is $120 NZD. If you have to cancel for any reason, you only get 50% refund. However, if you reserve at $140 NZD and have to cancel, you can receive a 100% refund. I think I will plan to purchase at $140 since we don't know the travel routine sufficiently well at this point in time.
The other issue is the rental car exchange at the ferry terminals. We rented from Avis and reserved a Toyota Corolla, automatic with GPS for 18 days. The cost is $1267 NZD (about $810 US). The collision damage waiver is included in this price and when I get to the Avis desk at the airport, I'll see if the price can be lowered a bit because my VISA card provides CDW provided the entire rental is charged on the VISA card.
The car is turned in at one ferry terminal and a new vehicle is received at the other terminal. We need to exchange twice, as we are arriving and leaving from Aukland airport. I am not certain how long this exchange will take and I need to check with the Avis people at the airport because with fixed ferry departure times, I need to have an efficient process to avoid missing the ferry.
As I was writing this post and got into the details of these exchanges, one needs to pay attention to the Avis rules for Multi-Island Hires
Difficulties arise when you check out the hours of operation at the Wellington Avis place at the Ferry terminal. In Wellington, their hours of operation are listed as 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Since we are taking the 9 am ferry to Picton on the South Island, there will be no one to accept the return of the vehicle. In navigating their site, I did click one link that said this:
ABOUT THIS LOCATION
AFTER-HOURS RETURNS
Park & lock the car. Place the completed contract & the keys in the key drop box. Remember to take your personal belongings with you.
The Picton hours of operation are much better and there will be personnel to issue a new vehicle to me.
Returning from Picton to Wellington introduces a new permutation of difficulties. The rental can be turned in at Picton in time for the 9:05 am ferry departure, but then on arriving in Wellington, there is no one available to issue you a new vehicle until 3:30 pm, a three hour wait.
I wrote to Avis to see how they handle these transfers for the morning ferry and will post more later about what I learn.
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