How is coverage driving State Highway 6 down the coast?

Patchy. You'll have signal in towns like Greymouth, Hokitika and Haast, but long remote stretches in between have none. Download offline maps and let someone know your route before the longer drives.

Does the same eSIM cover the West Coast as the rest of the South Island?

Yes. It's the single national New Zealand plan on Spark, One NZ and 2degrees. Coverage concentrates in the coastal towns and thins in the ranges and forests, all on one allowance.

West Coast eSIM.

Name: West Coast travel eSIM
Brand: My Holiday SIM

Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks and Hokitika's wild greenstone coast.

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 West Coast

The West Coast has almost no public transport and long gaps between towns, so coverage vanishes on the highway between settlements. Fuel up, download offline maps and glacier-tour tickets, and check tide times for Punakaiki before you drive.

Best time to visit West Coast

Come November to April for the driest, mildest weather, though the West Coast is famously wet, with clearer glacier views and open alpine passes.

Two simple ways to buy

West Coast eSIM plans: unlimited, or by the GB.

Every West Coast eSIM from My Holiday SIM is one of two straightforward types. Pick whichever fits how you travel in West Coast — 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 West Coast?

A rough, honest guide to sizing your West Coast eSIM so you're not guessing. Most travellers in West Coast 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

West Coast eSIM: your local data guide.

The West Coast is New Zealand's wildest edge, running from the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki past greenstone-carving Hokitika down to the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and remote Haast. A West Coast eSIM helps you book a glacier heli-hike, time the blowholes at Punakaiki and navigate the long, lonely stretches of State Highway 6.

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

Landing at Hokitika Airport (HKK)?

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

West Coast 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 West Coast

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

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

Across the region

Where you'll lean on data in West Coast.

Greymouth

The coast's main hub has reliable 4G for maps, fuel stops and TranzAlpine connections.

Hokitika

Good town coverage for greenstone galleries and gorge trips, thinning on the rural roads out.

Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers

Coverage in the glacier villages, but it drops fast on the valley walks and heli-hikes.

Punakaiki

Patchy around the Pancake Rocks, so download tide times to catch the blowholes at high tide.

The practical bit

Getting around West Coast on your eSIM.

Apps you'll want online in West Coast

Great Journeys NZ— Books the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch over the Alps to Greymouth.
InterCity— Books coaches down the coast between Nelson, Greymouth and the glaciers.
CamperMate— Vital for West Coast campsites, fuel and freedom-camping between remote towns.
DOC— Department of Conservation app with track, hut and glacier-walk information.

How long to stay in West Coast

Two to four days lets you drive the coast from Punakaiki through Hokitika to the glaciers, often as part of a wider South Island loop.

How much data for West Coast

About 2–3 GB is enough since much of the coast is offline; you'll depend on downloaded maps, tide times and tour tickets, using live data mainly in Greymouth and Hokitika.

Coverage in West Coast

Greymouth, Hokitika and the glacier villages have workable 4G, but coverage genuinely vanishes on the long highway stretches, in the rainforest and on glacier and alpine walks.

Where you're headed

Discover West Coast.

Explore the stunning cliffs and rugged seascape of Punakaiki, New Zealand's west coast.

Breathtaking view of snow-capped mountains behind a tranquil lake, perfect for nature lovers and travel enthusiasts.

Explore the tranquil coastline of Westport, New Zealand with waves gently crashing on the shore.

A stunning view of New Zealand's coastline with turquoise waters and rocky cliffs.

How to activate your West Coast 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 West Coast

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

New to eSIM in West Coast?

What is a West Coast eSIM?

A West Coast eSIM is a digital SIM that's already built into your phone. Scan one QR code and a local West Coast 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 West Coast.

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 West Coast 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

West Coast eSIM questions, answered.

The glacier villages themselves have coverage, but it disappears quickly on the glacier valley walks, at Lake Matheson and on heli-hikes. Download maps and confirm tour bookings while you're still in the village.

Your West Coast 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?