Originally Posted by
Mike Jacoubowsky
...It's a shame that 3G coverage isn't an acceptable use for daily coverage, something that would allow you to ditch your DSL line and be free to roam, as it were. But the download constraints are too tight for that.
Telstra is very expensive -- over 10x the price/megabyte of 3 network for example, actually more like 100x for small amounts. But Telstra has a far superior network (both coverage and speed).
You can buy 12GB for circa AUD 150 which is valid for 12 months (Vodafone or 3 network or Optus). That would be enough for "acceptable daily use" at a reasonable cost (if you use 1GB per week, that would be AUD 50 per month which is typical DSL cost ... of course DSL gets you much higher data allowance but no roaming).
Note that all of these purchases require residing in Australia, so you need suitable id and an address (hotel address is known to work, as is a passport).