There are extensive coach and bus services around New Zealand. The lack of regional rail services means that coach services pick up the slack. Coach travel around New Zealand can be slow however, as most roads are single lane, and the services have to stop many times on each route.
The main national coach service is provided by Intercity Coachlines. They service nearly major New Zealand town, and provide a range of cheaper non refundable and more expensive refundable fares. It is even possible to obtain $1 fares, and there are also flexible hourly based or fixed itinerary passes. Frequency of services are varied, ranging of a half dozen departures from busy routes, to only one or two per day (or less) between some destinations. Intercity incorporates a number of other brands, including Newmans Coach Lines, GreatSights sightseeing services, Fullers coach and boat services, and other affiliated tours like jet boat and dolphin cruises.
NakedBus is another national coach service, which markets itself as a ‘no frills’ service, also with $1 fare options.
Other specialist ‘hop on/hop off’ backpacker services include the Magic Bus and the Kiwi Experience. These pass based services allow travellers to spend as long as they like in different places, and connect with the next coach coming through their area. These services mostly cater to the main tourist destinations, but still cover most of the country.
The major cities all offer good bus services, though don’t expect urban bus services to deliver to you outlying towns. In some suburbs and small cities, bus frequency can also be quite limited. If based in Wellington, Auckland, or Christchurch however, city buses are a great way to get around.
In other areas, smaller private bus and shuttle services are sometimes available. Fir example, some areas offer specialist tramping or ski shuttles, airport transfers, or long distance commuter services.
