UK to Australia, overland

I'm going to Oz next year, overland

I will be taking my laptop (update my blog and using hotmail)

Can anyone recommend a dongle, provider or anything that I can connect to the internet,

I dont think that Wifi will be availible in a lot of places I'll be visiting

Its going to be a 28 week trip, so something that I can use the whole time

Not taking my phone, they qouted me sily prices for phone calls (my phone cant access the web anyway)

Any advice, tips would really be appreciated

 

Hi Pepsi,

We have 3 major Telco's here, I'll list some URL's below for you to look over.
I believe McDonald's have free Wifi - I've not used it.

As you'll not have your phone, perhaps the store where you purchase from will allow you to activate your service there, you'll have to ask.

Telstra (largest Telco - IMO) - http://www.telstra.com.au/bigpond-internet/mobile-broadband/prepaid/get-started/

Optus - http://optus.com.au/store/prepaidwirelessbroadband/modems

Virgin - http://www.virginmobile.com.au/broadband/mobile-broadband/

3 - http://www.three.com.au/cs/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=Three/Page/ThreeLayout&cid=1221530699083

Probably safest to pick one of the above. Regional places will also have a local telco that offers prepaid mobile broadband.

HTH

 

Thanks for your reply, I'll be leaving Hammersmith in April, next year

Its not the European leg that I am worried about (they all have a McD, Starbucks, Burgerking)

Its when I get to the 'Stans' and beyond, Nepal, India, Iran, Laos, Cambodia

I have no idea what the heck they will have in them or even if they have the internet, I know there are problems in Iran

Will any of the 3 providers have networks I could connect to out in these places ?

I will be on there the minimum of time, just copying and pasteing a blog and emails, once they have gone, I'll shut the connection down (I assume its not going to be cheap whoever I use)

My contract for my phone is with Vodaphone, they qouted me £1.35 a minute for a phone callon my last trip (to Kenya) needless to say, I confined it to texts, but even at 90 pence a text, it mounted up:cry

 

It sounds like a great trip, i hope you have a lot of fun and without any doubt it will enrich your understanding of other cultures.

It has been a couple of years since i visited Tehran but the internet in very heavily censored and that is if you can get on it.
They are second only to China with censorship and jail terms are common for posting anything anti government (that means anything the censors do not like)
The country itself is an amazing snapshot of life before civilization and is deeply religious so think very carefully before you speak about anything government or religious the police have ears everywhere.

India is fast becoming an internet hot spot so you should be able to find connections fairly easily.

 

Hi Pepsi,

Your trip sounds terrific and your reply just made me realise I left out another telco provider. So here is their details also. :-o

http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/mobile-broadband/

Cannot help with other OS locations, never been OS.

 

Hi Bill,
I have been all over the place since I retired,
Egypt, 8 weeks,
Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda 4 weeks (I made a blog for that one)
Got another trip in October back to Egypt for 4 weeks
The UK to Australia will be the longest I have ever done (outside of the Army)
Looking forward to it
Just minor things to be sorted, I have most of my kit sorted (clothing, boots, sleeping bag, tent, self inflating matteress)
I know about Iran, I have been folowing a trek out there already, they havent posted in a few days, guess the internet is twitchy there (or they have been shot)
I have shot all those providers an email, see what they have to say for themselves (are they pay as you go or a monthly payment ?)

 

Hi Pepsi,

They all vary from a fixed price for a fixed amount of time and/or quantity of data - to a per month payment. My personal opinion is to steer clear of pay as you go, the costs are outrageous.

If you're mostly near capital cities, pick one out of a hat. Captial cities coverage usually most reliable. If you're venturing to the wilds and beyond, honestly telstra would be your best choice for coverage and reliability.

Two piece of information that may be useful to know, even though your bringing your own gear.
Cities have internet cafes, heck we are so progressive now that regional towns have them, and they can be expensive :-D

Also, Public Libraries have internet access - some free, some pay to use, keep in mind they will want a copy of proof of identity and that may be a consideration factor for you, and more importantly Libraries will not let you use your equipment with their's - ie a usb device.
Using Library services will get you acess to the internet and emails at a cheaper price than anything from the Telco's or internet Cafes.

Many options available. HTH

 

Going by the map I have looked at, we will be doing quite a few cities and towns, but the majority looks like it will be in the wilds

From what I have seen of PAYG, it could work out expensive

I have no idea what or how much data I would need (any suggestions ?)

I could see sending emails, blogs, is Skype and good for messageing ?
(I have messenger, its pretty hopeless unless you got a decent speed)

I would just be using the speech, rather than text type messaging

I dont think public libaries are really going to be around a lot (how the heck would I find em anyway?

Some of these places dont even have schools

(When I was in Africa, there was wifi everywhere, but no cafes, speeds varied from the fast to the bloody hopeless, I had to use an ipod touch and that fiddly keyboard, but it worked)

If I sign up to one of these IP, does it change with each country I visit ? (bit like the phone?)

 

How are you traveling Pepsi?
Are you getting travel Visas before you leave or as you travel, if the latter take a big pack of passport photos as they are sometimes hard to get the further east you go and sometimes you need 4 or5 for one visa (Bulgaria comes to mind)
The farthest i have traveled overland was into Saudi Arabia.

If you are using a mobile home the road tolls are a big factor. My personal route from UK was Belgium,Germany,Hungary,Bulgaria,Greece, Turkey, Syria and Jordan.

You can also go from Germany via Austria Croatia and Serbia but as i mentioned the tolls are very high.

Also there is a great road from the Bosporus in Turkey where you cross from Europe to Asia that runs all the way down to Mersin just 100km from the Iraq/Iran border but again it is a toll road.

 

Hi Pepsi,

I assume that each IP would change with each Country you visit.

All the information I have given in previous posts is relevant only to travel within Australia.

Even if your travelling to Uluru, Central Queensland, Broome or other remote places, you should be able to access wifi on a semi-regular basis.

Perhaps if you were able to give me some idea of a couple of places within Australia your planning to visit, I should be able to refine my answers further, which will help to reassure you of your ability to access the WWW whilst your here.

I've used Skype for quite sometime now, I like it, but I guess it too, works better with better speeds particularly when using the video component of the programme.

You can bet there is a public library in just about everytown here. If there isn't then, there will be a local council office or a tourism building/cafe. From either of these places you will be able to get further information about where to locate what you require. They won't be difficult to locate.

As to quantity of data you may need, whilst your here. What is your normal usage per month?
Why don't you, say halve it or quarter it? So normal use of 20G would then translate to say 5G, (also gives you the ability to surf if you need too). I noticed on the Telstra site they had 5G prepaid units that are valid for 90 days, (they only work in Australia).

 

I kick off from Hamersmith, we are going in a big yellw truck, then down to get the ferry to France, Germany, Austria, Czech republic, Hungary, Romainia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Borneo, Bali, then Australia, Ayers rock,Kakadu national park, Arnhem land, Sydney, then I suppose we hang about a bit and sort a flight home

I have several copies of my passport, no seperate photos though, I will be sorting visas nearer the time, some have to be done on 'the run'

This has the makings of a good trip, I suppose its down to the other people on the truck and how well we get on, they set up a facebook page before they sign up and pay up (I dont have a facebook, so, thats going to be fun when we meet up) I suppose that is too set up a friendly atmosphere before we go (They post their email addresses as welll on the website for numpties like me)




http://i1017.photobucket.com/albums/af297/pepsi666/28weektrekmap-large.jpg

 

I usually use my desk top PC, I am with Sky BB, I have no idea what my usage is (I'm on umlimited use)

Only use the big laptop, when on holiday, but this wll change now I got this little 'un, I usually try and find a wifi hotspot

I posted the map of places we will be going through (I never thought it would end up that big though (Its not that big on my PC, dunno how it got that big :-o )

 

I see now you are traveling with an organized group so many of the problems i envisaged will not arise as your tour organizer has done this several times and as for communication via internet it will become clearer as the time get closer.

I did some work with Topdeck travel (most vehicles were Dutch registered) in it's early stages of development (it's now huge) so you are in good hands and i hope you have a great time.

 

Never heard of topdeck travel, the one I am using is a UK company

http://uktooz.com/odyssey.asp

 

I just spent some time reading the literary and it sound fantastic.
I have been to a number of places you will visit but one that jumps right out is Singapore and Kuala lumpur (absolutely fantastic)

Topdeck was one of the original trail breakers to the Asian continent but have now developed into a conglomerate.

http://www.topdeck.travel/the-topdeck-story

 

I reckon you should sign up for it, at least I'll have some bugger that knows what to do about the internet and someone to talk to

have to bring your own tent though :-D

I did a quick google on them, they dont do long trips any more, guess thewre is more money in short and sharp trips rolleyes

 

I would love to sign up but i have limited mobility and my wife is also an invalid so it it no longer practical we have to stick with airplanes and large autos.

 

Thats a shame

I reckon you should sign up for my blog then, see it through my eyes and photos

I'll try and make it interesting :wave

(on my previous blog, you didnt have to join anything to post a comment (unless you wanted to post your photo, send a message, a PM or anything like that)

 

Hi Pepsi,

Your trip looks terrific.

I can tell you a few more things. You won't land at Kakadu, you'll arrive at Darwin. It's a big city, you won't have trouble getting wifi there. Kakadu via Bus (?), probably won't get any signal there. Uluru, I shouldn't think you'll get signal around there, but you will get signal at Alice Springs. Your itinerary says your heading for Coober Peady which is in South Australia, so perhaps you'll fly from Adelaide to Sydney.

Adelaide and Sydney will have a plethora of Wifi.

When you get to Darwin, hopefully you should have sufficient time to find a Telstra store and get yourself something suitable for your time here. I searched the Darwin airport site, they have a wireless internet hotspot on the first floor of the terminal.

I concur with Bill, by the time you get to Australia, you'll be an old hand at sorting out how to get Wifi access at your next destination.

 

One thing that springs to mind is your arrangements for currency during your trip.

Basically use a credit card wherever possible but for cash it is better to take small denomination US$ traveler cheques (50s and 100s) because the dollar gets you much more for your money and are acceptable in most of the countries you will visit but do not change too much at a time as some of the countries will only let you buy the local money and you do not want to be left with for instance a load of Turkish lire when you enter Iraq (i am not sure now but they used to confiscate it at the border)
As you get nearer the departure time you will pick up more tips and if i think of any i will post them but the main theme is enjoy the trip of a lifetime (i doubt you will do it twice :-D)