Rip off internet access charges

I love visiting New Zealand (and Australia) but there is one major frustration – internet charges. Last night I finally found a wireless signal, by propping the Powerbook on the corner of the sink next to the door in my Apartment Hotel. Great things Apartment Hotels by the way, for the same price as a hotel room you get a kitchen and laundry which makes life a lot easier. Back to the subject; there were no payment options when I opened my Browser, so I phoned reception. After three attempts I was given an option $6 for an hour or $25 for a day. Other hotels here in Wellington sometimes cost more as they put a 50Mb limit, and charge per megabyte thereafter. In the US, most of the UK and increasingly Europe internet access is a part of the basic plumbing, its like water and electricity, part of the room charge. This must be a huge profit for the hotels, and when wireless is a weak signal or they don’t have capacity on their servers it is a disgrace The other day I was told the reason for slow internet access was that they had 170 rooms and too many people were using it ……

For other visitors to Wellington, don’t pay the hotel charge. Cafenet give you a good deal, you buy megabytes cheaply, and they are there for as long as you need them. I am still using some I bought two years ago. Not only that all their hotspots are in cafes, and Wellington has the greatest cafe culture I know so you get a double benefit.