Bus
travel is still generally the cheapest way
of getting around and is more comprehensive
than the national rail system in all countries
in Oceania. In Australia it’s a great
way to come to grips with the size and variety
of the terrain but it’s always worth
comparing the price of a discount air ticket
as distances in Australia make journeys
long and tiring. Most buses come equipped
with air-con, toilets and videos. There
is usually only one main bus terminal and
these will have toilets, showers and other
facilities.
Most big cities have a local bus system
and a long distance coach terminal. Buses
generally ferry passengers between airports
and their accompanying cities although these
may often stop at hotels on the way and
make the journey rather long. If there's
a train at the airport this is usually a
better option.
On Pacific islands the services can be varied,
some will produce memorable experiences.
AUSTRALIA Greyhound
Pioneer have the biggest national network
in Australia (tel. 13 2030). McCafferty’s
(tel. 13 1499), are the next biggest and
operate out of Brisbane. They serve all
states but Western Australia and are scheduled
buses.
Other smaller companies specialise in intercity
routes eg. Firefly
Express (Sydney-Melbourne), Stateliner
(South Australia), Westrail
(Western Australia), and V/Line
(Victoria). Some of these specialist routes
can work out cheaper. Oz
Experience is a backpacker bus company
that offers passes for travel around Australia.
See the travel
passes page for more details on all
the above and more options.
NEW ZEALAND
The main coach operator is InterCity,
which has scheduled bus services to most
major cities and towns in New Zealand. You
can buy individual tickets or save money
by buying a pass. Smaller bus companies
include Northliner
Express in the Northland Region which
also works with other companies to provide
connections to Tauranga, Rotorua and New
Plymouth and Wellington. They are a good
choice if you want to go to the Bay of Islands.
They also have a range of bus passes available.
Atomic
Shuttles (tel: (03) 319 5641) operates
in the South Island in a similar way with
an extensive route network.
There are many other small bus companies
that operate scheduled services. They can
be cheaper than services offered by larger
companies. These are the North Island services: Bay
Xpress (Tel: 0800 4 BAYXPRESS (0800
422 997), Wellington to Napier. Dalroy
Express (Tel: (06) 755 0009) Auckland
to the Taranaki region. Auckland to Hawera
via New Plymouth, connecting services Hamilton
to Rotorua and Taupo, Auckland to Paihia
in the Bay of Islands. Go
Kiwi Shuttles (Tel: 0800 446 549)
Minibuses on the Coromandel Peninsula with
connections to Auckland, Tauranga and Rotorua.
A 15% discount if you have a BBH, VIP or
YHA card.
Guthrey's Express (Tel: 0800 759 999) Connecting
Auckland and Roturua via Hamilton, Taupo
to Rotorua, Auckland to Bay of Islands. Kiwi
Traveller (Tel: 0800 500 100)
Wellington to Rotorua with stops in Palmerston
North, National Park and Taupo. Tickets
valid 6 monhts.
These are the South Island services: Akaroa
French Connection (Tel: 0800 800 575)
Christchurch to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula. Akaroa
Shuttle (Tel: 0800 500 929) Christchurch
to Akaroa. Alpine
Coaches (Tel: 0800 274 888) Christchurch
to Hokitika and Greymouth on the West Coast. Backpacker
Express (Tel: 03) 442 993) Queenstown
to Glenorchy, transport for people hiking
the Greenstone, Caples and Rees/Dart Tracks.
Budget Buses & Shuttles (Tel: (03) 684
9391) Christchurch to Timaru.
Catch-a-Bus (Tel: (03) 363 1122 (Christchurch),
(03) 489 4641 (Dunedin), (03) 249 8900 (Te
Anau). Dunedin to Te Anau and Christchurch
to Dunedin. Citibus
Newton (Tel: (03) 477 5577) Dunedin
to Taieri Gorge Railway at Middlemarch.
With this service you can take the scenic
train ride between Dunedin and Middlemarch
and continue by coach to Queenstown. Coast
to Coast (Tel: 0800 800 847) Christchurch
to Hokitika and Greymouth on the West Coast. The
Cook Connection (Tel: 025 583 211) Timaru
to Oamaru to Mount Cook. A 10% discount
with a BBH, YHA or student card. Deluxe
Travel Line (Tel: (03) 578 5467) Blenheim
to Picton.
East Coast Express (Tel: 0508 830 900) Picton
to Christchurch.
Hanmer Connection (Tel: 0800 37 378) Hanmer
Springs to Christchurch, Kaikoura and Greymouth. K
Bus (Tel: (03) 525 9434) Nelson to Golden
Bay. The timetable suits people walking
the Abel Tasman Track and Heaphy Track.
Kiwilink (Tel: (03) 577 8332) Picton, Blenheim
and Nelson to Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman
Track. Also to the north and southern trailheads
of the Heaphy Track.
Lazerline Coaches (Tel: (03) 388 7652 or
0800 220 001) Christchurch to Nelson via
Lewis Pass. Methven
Travel (Tel: (03) 302 8106)
Methven to Christchurch and Christchurch
Airport. Discounts with a backpackers card. Mount
Aspiring Express (Tel: (03) 443 8422)
Wanaka to Mount Aspiring National Park. South
Island Connections (Tel: (03) 366 6633
or 0508 742 669) Picton to Kaikoura, Christchurch
and Dunedin.
Southern Link Shuttles (Tel: (03) 358 8355)
Christchurch to Nelson, Westport and Queenstown
and Dunedin to Queenstown and Wanaka. Spitfire
Shuttle (Tel: (03) 249 7654) Invercargill
to Te Anau with connections to the Catlins
Coaster bus.
Topline Tours (Tel: (03) 442 8178) Queenstown
to Te Anau. TrackNet
(Tel: (03) 249 7777) Transport to the hiking
tracks Kepler, Milford, Routeburn and
Greenstone Tracks. Also Queenstown to Te
Anau and Milford Sound. Wanaka
Connexions (Tel: (03) 43 9122) Dunedin
to Queenstown and Wanaka.
Backpacker Buses like Kiwi
Experience, Magic
Travellers Network and Stray
Travel have extensive route networks
but have a reputation of carrying younger
backpackers and operate as party buses.
The main constraint is that you are limited
to stay on their route so excursions off
the set itinerary become harder, they also
stop at larger hostels. See the travel
passes page for details.
Buses
in Fiji range from modern air-conditioned
coaches to those with no windows. However
travel on those with less comforts is a
good way to meet local people. Bus is the
best way to negotiate Fiji as almost everywhere
has a bus route. Simply hail the driver
to get on. If there are no buses then there
will always be carriers. These are minibuses
or pickup trucks that operate in the same
way. If you want more a backpacker bus option
try the Feejee
Experience.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
PMVs (public motor vehicles) are the Papua
New Guinean version of buses and are more
like mini vans. They operate on different
routes in major cities and between towns.
The safety of these varies in different
regions. You usually pay on exiting the
vehicle.
COOK ISLANDS
Rarotonga is the only island with a scheduled
bus service. There are two routes but take
you everywhere. The terminus for the buses
is Cooks Corner in Avarua. Buses run hourly
from 7am to 4pm, then less frequently until
10pm. Some islands like Atutaki have buses
but these usually are for airport transfers
to hotels and resorts or school buses.
FRENCH POLYNESIA The bus service here is called
le truck - a truck converted into
a bus. The windows are open, and there's
only one bench seat down each side of the
vehicle. Le truck is a great travel
experience. The services are most frequent
on the more populated islands like Tahiti,
Morea and Bora Bora. On less visited islands
the services become less reliable and non-existent.
Public
bus services include long-distance services
and the comprehensive city bus network in
Nouméa. In Nouméa the services
run every 10-30mins and mostly terminate
at city hall or Avenue de la Victoire. Buses
stop at 6pm. Fares are XPF 120 on weekdays
and XPF 140 on weekends and public holidays.
Long-distance
buses leave from the main bus terminal in
Nouméa (tel: 27 82 32).
USEFUL LINKS
Here is a list of some helpful links and
bus services: The Bus Station
- www.busstation.net
Bus, coach, tram, trolleybus and transit
links all over the world
BusWeb
- www.busweb.com
Index of links to bus, coach, and motorcoach
related web sites.
