eSIM for Oceania (8 areas)

This plan covers Australia and New Zealand plus six Pacific island nations, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. It uses Optus in Australia, Spark in New Zealand and Digicel across the islands. Main towns and resort areas are covered, but outer islands, open-sea cruise days and New Caledonia, a common cruise stop, are not.

A three-country South Pacific route with short flights between each: a few days in Sydney, a Fiji stop split between Nadi, a Mamanuca island and the Coral Coast, then Auckland, Waitomo and Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island.

Length

11 days

Bases

6

When to go May to October is Fiji's drier, cooler season and avoids the November to April cyclone months; it overlaps with winter in Sydney and New Zealand, which is mild in Sydney and Auckland but cool and wet in Rotorua.

1. 01

   Day 1 Sydney

   Sydney: the harbour and the Rocks

   Walk from Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House, through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, then back through the Rocks. In the late afternoon, walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and take the ferry back from Milsons Point for the view of the city at dusk.

   Signal Strong 4G and 5G on Optus across central Sydney and on the ferries.

2. 02

   Day 2 Sydney

   Sydney: Bondi and Manly

   Walk the Bondi to Coogee coastal path in the morning, past Tamarama and Bronte beaches and Waverley Cemetery on the cliffs. In the afternoon, take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and walk to Shelly Beach for snorkelling in the sheltered cove. Pack for the tropics tonight.

   Signal Good along the coastal walk and in Manly, with a few dips below the cliffs.

3. 03

   Day 3 Nadi

   Fly to Fiji: Nadi and Denarau

   → Flight Sydney to Nadi, about 4 hours.

   Fly to Nadi. In the afternoon, visit the Sri Siva Subramaniya temple, often described as the largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere, and the Nadi town market. In the evening, head to Port Denarau, where boats leave for the islands, to book or confirm tomorrow's transfer.

   Signal Your phone switches to Digicel Fiji on landing. Good 4G in Nadi and Denarau.

4. 04

   Day 4 Mamanuca Islands

   Out to the Mamanuca Islands

   → Catamaran transfer from Port Denarau, about 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the island.

   Take a catamaran from Port Denarau out to a Mamanuca island resort, such as on Malolo, Mana or Castaway. Spend the afternoon snorkelling on the house reef, kayaking or walking round the island. Some boats stop at several islands along the way, so allow most of the morning.

   Signal Gaps on the boat between islands. The larger Mamanuca resorts usually have Digicel signal, but coverage varies by island, and many rely on resort wifi.

5. 05

   Day 5 Mamanuca Islands

   Mamanuca Islands: reefs and sandbanks

   Join a boat trip to a sandbank such as Cloud 9's floating platform or the snorkelling around Monuriki, where Cast Away was filmed. In the afternoon, try a village visit if your resort offers one, dressing modestly and bringing a sevusevu gift of kava.

   Signal Little or none on outer reefs and Monuriki; check your resort's wifi for anything important.

6. 06

   Day 6 Coral Coast

   The Coral Coast and Sigatoka

   → Catamaran back to Port Denarau, then about 1 to 1.5 hours by road.

   Return to the mainland and travel south along the Queens Road to the Coral Coast. Walk among the dunes at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park, Fiji's first national park, then visit the Kula Wild Adventure Park or snorkel the reef in front of your hotel.

   Signal Good along the Queens Road and in Sigatoka; patchier among the dunes.

7. 07

   Day 7 Auckland

   Coral Coast to Auckland

   → Flight Nadi to Auckland, about 3 hours.

   Spend the morning on the beach or take a short boat out to snorkel the fringing reef in front of the Coral Coast hotels, then head back up the Queens Road to Nadi for an afternoon flight to Auckland. In the evening, walk the Viaduct Harbour and the Wynyard Quarter on the waterfront, and pick up a hire car for tomorrow if you are driving.

   Signal Your phone switches to Spark on landing in New Zealand. Strong 4G and 5G across central Auckland.

8. 08

   Day 8 Auckland

   Auckland: Sky Tower and Waiheke Island

   → Ferry from downtown Auckland to Waiheke, about 40 minutes.

   Go up the Sky Tower in the morning, then take the ferry to Waiheke Island for its beaches, coastal walks and vineyards around Oneroa. Back in the city, climb Maungawhau, Mount Eden, at sunset for the view across Auckland's volcanic cones.

   Signal Good on the ferry and in Oneroa; weaker on Waiheke's eastern coastal walks.

9. 09

   Day 9 Rotorua

   Waitomo Glowworm Caves

   → About 2.5 hours from Auckland to Waitomo, then 2 hours to Rotorua.

   Drive south through the Waikato to Waitomo for a boat trip through the Glowworm Caves, drifting under thousands of glowing larvae in the dark, or a guided black-water rafting trip in a nearby cave. Continue east to Rotorua in the afternoon, noticing the smell of sulphur as you arrive, and walk along the lakefront and through Government Gardens.

   Signal No signal inside the caves; good in Waitomo village and on the main highways, with gaps in the King Country hills.

10. 10

    Day 10 Rotorua

    Rotorua: geothermal valleys and Māori culture

    Visit Te Puia or Whakarewarewa to see the Pōhutu geyser, mud pools and Māori carving school. In the afternoon, walk in the Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest or its treetop walk, and in the evening attend a hāngī dinner and cultural performance.

    Signal Good across Rotorua; weaker deep in the Redwoods forest.

11. 11

    Day 11 Auckland

    Wai-O-Tapu and back to Auckland

    → About 3 hours by road from Wai-O-Tapu to Auckland Airport.

    Drive south to Wai-O-Tapu for the Champagne Pool and the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts each morning. Head back north to Auckland in the afternoon, stopping at Hobbiton in Matamata if you have booked a tour. Fly home from Auckland.

    Signal Good at Wai-O-Tapu and along State Highway 1; a few gaps on rural back roads.