Christmas Schedule – FREE bus travel on Fri 22 December
Christmas is coming and bus services will be free on Friday 22 December, so you can head into town for last-minute shopping or visit friends and whānau for free.
All BusLink and CityLink services will be free on the day, thanks to a joint initiative between the Northland Regional Council and bus operators. The security team and staff at Rose Street bus terminus will be spreading the Christmas goodwill with small giveaways when you get on or off your bus.
If you’re planning to use the buses to travel over the festive period, make sure you check the timetables.
Remember that no buses run on national public holidays – 25, 26 December and 1,2 January.
Meri Kirihimete!
Beach Buses
Beach Buses are back again this summer! Take the stress out of your day, leave the car at home and head to the beach on the bus.
This year the buses will run between Whangārei and Ocean Beach and Ruakākā Beach, every Thursday from 21 December to 25 January 2024.
The Ocean Beach bus leaves Rose Street at 10am and returns at 2.30pm. The Ruakākā Beach bus leaves Rose Street at 11.15am and returns at 2pm.
The fare is $5 each way.
What are you waiting for….?!
Take the bus to the beach! Ka eke ki runga I te pahi ki te takutai!
Design a Bus Back competition – winners announcement!
CityLink are STOKED to announce the winners of our Design a Bus Back competition.
We received hundreds of amazing entries, both online and through Enviroschools. They were all AMAZING!
We’re so thrilled for our Winner – Amay Dignon, Age 9, from Hurapaki School
Amay’s entry stood out for its vibrant design, fantastic use of colour and for incorporating clear messaging. Congratulations Amay! Ka mau te wehi!
We’re giving you a sneak peak at Amay’s fab design here, but the next time you see it in December, it’ll be on a CityLink bus back!! Watch this space 😊
And congratulations to our two Highly Commended:
James Nunn, Age 7, from Onerahi Primary School
Alexis Cossey, Age 10, from Morningside Primary
The judges were impressed with James’s unique underwater concept and with Alexis’s engaging design incorporating the bus.
Congratulations to our three winners and all the tamariki who took part. We received hundreds of amazing entries, both online and through Enviroschools. Thank you to all the tamariki who entered, to all the parents and guardians that helped with online entries and to the following Enviroschools:
Whangārei Primary
Manaia View School
Morningside Primary
Hora Hora School
Hurapaki School
We’ll be making sure that we can display lots of the entries in December, so everyone has a chance to enjoy them as much as we did.
Monitor Upgrade at the Rose Street Bus Terminus
We are currently upgrading the monitors at the Rose Street Bus terminus, to enhance your travel experience.
During this upgrade, the monitors will be temporarily down. You can still track your bus online for real-time updates.
Bus Fares
CityLink fares are $2 adult (age 18 +) $1 child.
Concessions (discounts) on public transport fares are available under the Community Connect Scheme. These concessions make public transport cheaper for families with children and young people and for people with a Community Services Card.
On CityLink services you MUST use a registered Bee Card to get the discounted fare. Cash fares on CityLink services are NOT eligible for the discount. If you have an existing Bee Card, you can use that.
If you do not have a Bee Card, you can get one at Rose Street bus station for the standard charge of $5. Community Service Card holders are eligible for a free card when they apply for their concession.
Concessions are available as follows:
Children aged 0-12
Infants aged 0-4 travel for free. They do not need a Bee Card. Children aged 5-12 travel for free. Must use a Bee Card.
For more information go to children and young people
Young People
Teenagers aged 13-18 travel for half the existing child fare, so will pay $0.50c. Must use a Bee Card.
Young adults aged 19-24 travel for half the set adult fare, so will pay $1. Must use a Bee Card.
For more information go to children and young people
Community Service Card holders
Community Service Card (CSC) holders travel for half the adult or child fare. Must have a Community Services card and load the concession onto their Bee Card.
For further information please go to Community Connect – CSC holders
SuperGold card holders
SuperGold card passengers still travel free off-peak, between 9am-3pm weekdays and all day on Saturdays. If you or a family member have a SuperGold card and are also a Community Service Card holder, you/they can apply for half price travel outside peak hours.
For more information please go to SuperGold card concessions
If you need further assistance or information call 0800 002 004 and ask for the Transport team.
