Is there mobile coverage at Aoraki/Mount Cook?

There's basic 4G around Mount Cook Village and The Hermitage, but it's patchy and disappears on the Hooker Valley and Mueller Hut tracks. Save offline maps and tell someone your plans before longer alpine walks.

Does the same eSIM cover both Christchurch and the rest of the South Island?

Yes. It's the one national New Zealand plan roaming on Spark, One NZ and 2degrees, so it works across Canterbury and everywhere else you travel in New Zealand on a single data allowance.

Canterbury eSIM.

Name: Canterbury travel eSIM
Brand: My Holiday SIM

From rebuilt Christchurch to the Southern Alps, Kaikōura whales and Tekapo's dark skies.

from $3.14/day · unlimited dataAll of New Zealand →

Unlimited data5G where availableInstant QR by emailKeep your number

1 · How many days?

10 daysOther:days

2 · How much data?

3GBBest pricevalid 15 days$10.05$1.01/day

Cheapest plan covering your trip: 3GB, valid 15 days.

Travellers (one eSIM each)

1 × 3GB (valid 15 days) · 10-day trip$10.05

Good to know in Canterbury

The Mackenzie Basin is a Dark Sky Reserve, so coverage genuinely fades around Tekapo and Mount Cook. Download offline Google Maps and your accommodation details before you leave the main highway.

Best time to visit Canterbury

Visit December to March for warm, settled weather and long days ideal for alpine walks, or July for skiing at Mount Hutt and crisp, clear stargazing.

Two simple ways to buy

Canterbury eSIM plans: unlimited, or by the GB.

Every Canterbury eSIM from My Holiday SIM is one of two straightforward types. Pick whichever fits how you travel in Canterbury — you can always top up or switch on your next trip.

Traveller streaming and browsing freely on an unlimited-data travel eSIM

Unlimited plans

High-speed data, nothing to count

Priced per day — the longer you stay, the better the daily rate. Ideal for streaming, hotspot and longer trips where you'd rather not watch a data meter. A fair-use policy keeps speeds fast for everyone; see each plan for the detail.

Best for streaming, video calls & hotspot
Great for longer or open-ended trips
One price per day — no GB anxiety

By-the-GB plans

3GB10GB20GB

A set bundle, brilliant value

A fixed data allowance (say 3 GB or 10 GB) valid for your travel days. The best-value pick for lighter trips built around maps, messaging and a bit of browsing. Running low? Top up in a couple of taps — nothing to reinstall.

Best value for lighter, shorter trips
Clear allowance — pay only for what you need
Top up any time from your phone

Compare plans →Not every destination has both types — the picker shows what's available where you're headed.

Plan your data

How much data do you need in Canterbury?

A rough, honest guide to sizing your Canterbury eSIM so you're not guessing. Most travellers in Canterbury are comfortable on 3–5 GB a week — heavy streamers just go Unlimited.

Traveller checking maps and messages on her phone using a My Holiday SIM eSIM

Not sure? Start with a 5 GB plan — you can top up in seconds if you run low.

Light

~1 GB / week

Maps, messaging & email

Google Maps, WhatsApp, email and the odd search. Plenty for a city break where you mostly need directions.

Suits 1–3 GB plans

Balanced

3–5 GB / week

Everyday holiday use

Everything above plus social scrolling, music, cloud photo backups and a little video. Where most travellers land.

Suits 5–10 GB plans

Canterbury eSIM: your local data guide.

Canterbury sprawls from the surf at New Brighton to the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook, and a Canterbury eSIM keeps you connected across all of it. You'll want live data for booking a Kaikōura whale-watching trip, navigating the Arthur's Pass road and checking aurora forecasts over the Mackenzie dark-sky reserve near Lake Tekapo.

One eSIM for Canterbury and all of New Zealand. It's the national New Zealand eSIM — from $3.14/day with unlimited data, working the same in Canterbury as it does the moment you leave it.

Landing at Christchurch International Airport (CHC)?

Install the QR at home, then switch the eSIM on as you taxi in — you're online before you reach the arrivals hall.

Canterbury eSIM pricingbest-value plan · per day

Days

Per day

Total

Saving

3 days1GB

$1.28

$3.83

—

5 days1GB

$0.77

$3.83

−40%

7 days1GB

$0.55

$3.83

−57%

10 days3GBPopular

$1.01

$10.05

−21%

15 days3GB

$0.67

$10.05

−48%

30 days5GB

$0.48

$14.26

−63%

Each trip length shows the best-value plan that covers it. Total always shown before you pay.

eSIM vs the old ways in Canterbury

eSIM

ROAMING

AIRPORT SIM

Data allowance

Unlimited

Usually capped

Rarely unlimited

Price known upfront

Prepaid

Billed after

Varies at the desk

Ready when you land

Instantly

After the queue

Keep WhatsApp number

SIM swapped

Canterbury eSIM from $3.14/day — the whole bill, agreed before you fly.

Across the region

Where you'll lean on data in Canterbury.

Christchurch

Fast 5G blankets the rebuilt central city, Riverside Market and the airport, so ride-hailing and maps stay seamless.

Kaikōura

Coastal 4G holds along the peninsula for booking whale-watching, though it drops out on the boats offshore.

Lake Tekapo & the Mackenzie

Reliable data in Tekapo village for stargazing bookings, but signal thins once you're out at the observatory and dark-sky sites.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Coverage is patchy around Mount Cook Village, so download offline maps before the Hooker Valley Track.

The practical bit

Getting around Canterbury on your eSIM.

Apps you'll want online in Canterbury

Metro— Christchurch's bus network app with routes, live departures and Metrocard top-ups.
Uber— Rideshare across Christchurch city and out to the airport.
Zoomy— New Zealand–owned rideshare app, a handy alternative in Christchurch.
CamperMate— Road-trip app for campsites, fuel and toilets across rural Canterbury.

How long to stay in Canterbury

Most travellers spend three to five days in Canterbury, pairing a day or two in Christchurch with a road trip out to Kaikōura, Tekapo and Aoraki.

How much data for Canterbury

Balanced use of 3–5 GB suits a week here, enough for maps on the long alpine drives, whale-watch bookings and photo uploads; choose Unlimited if you'll hotspot a laptop.

Coverage in Canterbury

Christchurch enjoys strong 5G, and towns like Kaikōura, Hanmer Springs and Tekapo hold solid 4G, but signal genuinely thins through Arthur's Pass, the high country and around Aoraki/Mount Cook.

Where you're headed

Discover Canterbury.

Majestic snow-capped mountains under a cloudy sky in Kaikoura, New Zealand, showcasing winter beauty and serene nature.

Beautiful view of farmland with cows and ocean in Kaikōura, New Zealand's scenic countryside.

Beautiful sunrise over a suburban area in Canterbury, New Zealand, with a snowy mountain backdrop.

Stunning view of hills and clouds in Omarama, New Zealand countryside.

Cities in Canterbury

Zoom in on Canterbury.

Christchurch eSIM

How to activate your Canterbury eSIM.

Full installation guide →

A traveller happily planning her next trip with a map and phone

Buy your plan

Choose your days — the QR code arrives by email in seconds.

A traveller installing her eSIM from the sofa in two minutes

Install at home

Scan the QR on Wi-Fi before you fly. About two minutes, no app needed.

Friends laughing together while packing for a holiday

Fly relaxed

Nothing counts down yet — your days start only at first connection.

A joyful family reunion at the airport arrivals hall

Switch on in Canterbury

Turn the line on when you land. Connected before baggage claim.

New to eSIM in Canterbury?

What is a Canterbury eSIM?

A Canterbury eSIM is a digital SIM that's already built into your phone. Scan one QR code and a local Canterbury data plan installs alongside your home SIM — no plastic, no tray tool, no swap. Your number and WhatsApp stay exactly where they are.

✓ 2-minute install✓ Keep your number✓ Works on phones from 2018+

How eSIM works →Check my phone

A traveller with a backpack smiling at her phone — online abroad with My Holiday SIM

Connected · 5G

Home SIM · calls & WhatsAppHoliday eSIM · unlimited data

30-day refund promiseUnused, uninstalled eSIM? Full refund, no questions.

The price is the billPrepaid and final — roaming charges can't happen.

Days start when you landInstall early with zero pressure; counting begins at first connection.

Humans, 24/7Real people answer, before, during and after the trip.

Why travellers choose My Holiday SIM for Canterbury.

Instant eSIM deliveryQR code in your inbox seconds after checkout — even at the departure gate.

No physical SIMNothing to collect, lose or poke out with a paperclip. Your home SIM stays put.

Keep your WhatsApp numberData flows through us; WhatsApp stays on your home number. Family always reaches you.

A traveller at the departure gate, eSIM ready on her phone

eSIM ready in ~2 minutes

No bill shock, everOne clear price before you fly. Roaming charges simply can't happen.

Secure paymentsCards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Klarna — encrypted end to end.

Real human supportReal people — before, during and after your trip. Live chat and email, no bots. Easy top-ups too.

Coverage in New Zealand.

5G where available, fast 4G everywhere else

Connected · 5G

Your eSIM joins New Zealand's partner networks automatically — no settings to choose, no manual network hunting. If signal drops in a remote spot, toggling Airplane Mode for a few seconds forces a fresh connection.

Spark
One NZ
2degrees
Skinny

Popular places covered

AucklandWellingtonChristchurchQueenstownRotoruaDunedinNapierNelson

Keep data roaming ON for the eSIM line only — that's the switch travel eSIMs use, and it never adds charges on our plans.

Trusted networks, honest numbers.

No invented star ratings behind your Canterbury eSIM — just the numbers we actually stand behind.

Friendly globe with location pins — coverage on every continent

My Holiday SIMSTAY CONNECTED. ANYWHERE.

200+

destinations — every continent covered

regions covered by a single regional eSIM

~2 min

typical install — QR to connected

Live

chat & email support

Before you fly

Canterbury eSIM questions, answered.

Partly. You'll have signal around Springfield, Arthur's Pass village and Greymouth, but coverage cuts out through the tunnels and remote gorges of the Southern Alps. Download some entertainment before you board for the scenic middle stretches.

Your Canterbury eSIM glossary.

eSIMA SIM built into your phone's hardware. Plans install onto it digitally — no plastic card involved.

QR profileThe code we email you. Scanning it downloads your holiday plan onto the eSIM. One scan per device.

Data roaming (the switch)The toggle travel eSIMs use to join partner networks abroad. On our plans it never adds charges — keep it ON for the eSIM, OFF for your home SIM.

Hotspot / tetheringSharing your phone's data with laptops and tablets. Included on our plans wherever networks allow.

Top-upExtra days added to a live plan from your account. They append to the end — nothing overlaps.

First connectionThe moment your eSIM first joins a network at the destination — that's when your days start counting, not before.

Travelling wider in New Zealand?