If you’re travelling Australia and trying to work out which eSIM actually works, I’ll save you some time: coverage matters more here than anywhere else I’ve travelled.

I spent two months travelling around Australia and used SimLocal the entire time. I chose it for one specific reason — it was the only eSIM I could find that used both the Telstra and Optus networks.

That detail ended up being everything.

This is my honest review of using SimLocal in Australia — including why I still had signal on K’gari (Fraser Island) when most people didn’t.

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Why Choosing the Right eSIM in Australia Is So Important

Australia is massive. Once you leave the cities, mobile signal drops off quickly — especially if you’re:

• Road-tripping
• Visiting islands
• Spending time in national parks
• Backpacking long-term

A lot of eSIMs technically “work” in Australia, but many of them only use Optus, which is fine in cities and pretty unreliable elsewhere.

I didn’t want to be constantly offline — especially in more remote places — so I looked specifically for an eSIM with Telstra coverage.

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Australian Mobile Networks (In Simple Terms)

There are three main mobile networks in Australia:

• Telstra – by far the best coverage, especially outside cities
• Optus – decent in urban areas
• Vodafone – very limited

Telstra is the gold standard for coverage in Australia. The issue is that most international eSIMs don’t use it. SimLocal does.

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Why I Chose SimLocal for Australia

SimLocal was the only provider I could find that used Telstra and Optus.

That meant:

• Stronger overall coverage
• Better signal in regional and remote areas
• A backup network if one dropped out

It felt like a no-brainer for travelling Australia properly, not just hopping between cities.

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My Experience Using SimLocal Across Australia

Coverage Outside Cities (Including K’gari)

The real test came on K’gari (Fraser Island).

If you’ve been — or you’re planning to go — you’ll know most people expect to have no signal at all. And that’s exactly what I saw… except on my phone.

I didn’t have signal everywhere, but I did have it in and around the Drop Bears camp. More than what most people got.

Throughout my two months in Australia, SimLocal gave me reliable coverage on road trips, in smaller towns, and in places where other travellers were fully offline.

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How Much It Cost

I paid £25.25 for 20GB of data for 30 days.

I originally used someone else’s discount code, then simply bought the same package again to cover my full trip — so 60 days total.

No contracts, no physical SIM cards, no topping up in stores.

If you’re buying SimLocal, you can use my discount code: EMILYVICTORIA to save a bit.

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Setup & Installation

Setting up the eSIM was genuinely easy:

• Buy online
• Scan the QR code
• Activate on arrival

It took less than five minutes. I kept my UK SIM active for WhatsApp and iMessage and had no issues at all.

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Data Speeds & 5G

Speed-wise, I had no complaints. 4G was strong and reliable and handled everything I needed — maps, uploads, social media, messaging.

One thing to be aware of:

I didn’t always have 5G, even when other people around me did.

For me, that wasn’t a deal-breaker. I’d take solid coverage over fast speeds any day, especially in Australia.

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Pros & Cons of SimLocal in Australia

Pros

• Uses Telstra + Optus
• Excellent coverage outside cities
• Worked on K’gari
• Easy setup
• Ideal for road trips and longer trips

Cons

• Not always 5G
• Slightly more expensive than Optus-only eSIMs

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Would I Recommend SimLocal for Australia?

If you’re staying in major cities only, you’ll probably be fine with most eSIMs.

But if you’re:

• Backpacking
• Road-tripping
• Visiting islands or national parks
• Travelling Australia for more than a few weeks

Then yes — SimLocal is one of the best eSIMs for Australia purely because of coverage.

Having signal when others didn’t made a huge difference to my trip.

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After two months of using it, SimLocal is an easy recommendation. The Telstra + Optus network access genuinely sets it apart, and it’s one of the few eSIMs I’ve used where I noticed the difference straight away.

If you’re planning a trip to Australia and want reliable coverage beyond cities, this is the eSIM I’d choose again.

👉 Get SimLocal here

👉 Use my discount code: EMILYVICTORIA

Enjoy your Travels!

Em x

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