Bus Travel Within Auckland

The easily recognizable white Link Buses, run by Maxx, circle the inner city every 10 minutes between 6 am and 7 pm weekdays, and then every 15 minutes until about 11:30 pm. Weekend service runs from 7 am to 6 pm. The route includes the Britomart Centre between Customs and Quay streets, Queen Street, Parnell, Newmarket (near the Auckland War Memorial Museum), Ponsonby, and Karangahape Road. The flat-rate fare is NZ$1.50, payable as you board the bus; use change or small notes. A free red-color bus circuits the inner city between Britomart, the university, and the Sky Tower every 10 minutes between 8 am and 6 pm daily.

Auckland's bus and train network is being united with new electronic ticketing introduced but it is in a state of flux so expect changes. To travel farther afield, take a Stagecoach Bus, which has service as far north as Orewa on the Hibiscus Coast and south to Pukekohe. An Auckland Day Pass (NZ$11 for unlimited travel) is the best deal for anyone planning extensive bus travel; it includes Link and Stagecoach service and is also valid on Link ferries between the city and the North Shore. The Discovery Pass (NZ$14) also includes the local trains. You can buy the passes from the ferry office or the bus drivers. The information office at Britomart provides information, maps, and timetables.

Contacts

Information Office (Britomart Transport Centre, Queen Elizabeth Sq., Queen and Quay Sts., City Center, Auckland, 1010.)

Maxx (09/366-6400. www.maxx.co.nz.)

Bus Travel Around Auckland

The Sky City Coach Terminal is the hub for InterCity Coaches and Newmans Coaches. The terminal has secure storage lockers and a café next door. InterCity links Auckland to most other major cities at least once a day. Newmans has daily routs to Wellington daily via Hamilton and Taupo, and to Rotorua and Napier. Kiwi Experience goes to many more out-of-the-way destinations such as the East Cape; the "Funky Chicken" round-trip pass allows you to hop on and off where you please along the route. The buses depart from the Parnell office.