Phone 0800 4 BAY BUS (0800 422 928)
Tauranga’s bright yellow Bay Hopper buses will transport you between central Tauranga and destinations including Mount Maunganui, Bayfair Shopping Centre and Papamoa. New direct routes and a simple fare structure were introduced in 2011.
Buses leave from the front of the i-SITE visitor centre in Willow Street, or in Wharf Street just around the corner from the i-SITE. Bay Hopper also serves outlying suburbs including Greerton,Windermere (Polytech location), Welcome Bay, Pyes Pa and Bethlehem.
Bay Hopper Bus Timetables
You can flag down a BayHopper bus from any one of the hundreds of bus stops and shelters around the city. You'll need to know your local bus route to find Bay Hopper Bus times. To view the bus routes you may like to visit the BayBus website.
Bay Hopper Fares
Passengers pay only $2.60 for a City Ticket (Just $2.10 with a Smartride discount card) which covers all routes except Papamoa East and the City Centre, which costs $2.60.
Standard ‘City Ticket’ - $2.60
Papamoa East to City - $3.20
Smartride ‘City Ticket’ - $2.10
(Children Under 5 and Seniors free)
Bus to the beach? The most direct bus is the route 1 bus – Greerton-City-Mount, and runs at 10 minutes past the hour, or 20 minutes to the hour. The first stop is the Mount Maunganui Visitor Centre, and the second is the Mount Hot Pools – the best place to get off if you’re heading for the beach. The third stop is Mount Mainstreet in ‘downtown the Mount,’ and the best if you’re heading for the shops. A number 2 bus will also take you to the Mount, but is not as direct – it goes via Bayfair Shopping Centre.
Airport bus? Catch a route 2 bus from Willow Street to the airport for $2.50. The bus trip takes around 10 to 15 minutes; the bus goes direct to the airport and stops outside the terminal, the first stop after leaving the city centre.
Bay Hopper timetables are available from i-SITE and other visitor centres, libraries and shopping centres, and online at www.baybus.co.nz .Or call the very helpful information service (tel 0800 4 BAY BUS, 0800-422-928). You can also read more on our Local Tauranga Buses page.
Getting to Other Towns
From Tauranga, you can bus cheaply to a number of outlying towns. The BayHopper and several other companies provide services to towns including Te Puke, Rotorua and Whakatane. The Twin City Express runs twice daily to Rotorua via stops including Te Puke, Okere Falls (rafting spot) and Rotorua Airport, for a mere $11 one way.
Bay Hopper Eastern Bay of Plenty Service
This is a daily service from Tauranga to Whakatane via Te Puke ($12.50 per person) and The Beach Runner goes across the hill from Whakatane to gorgeous Ohope Beach. The Tauranga i-SITE Visitor Centre can help you get to other towns. (tel 0800-422-928)
Naked Bus and Intercity also provide bus sevices between Eastern Bay and Tauranga.
An alternative to bussing is to go with a shuttle operator. Supa Travel Express (tel 571 0583 or 0800-488 111, (www.supatravelexpress.co.nz) runs modern ‘minibus’vans on routes north of Tauranga, stopping at towns like Katikati and Waihi, and also connects with Hamilton and Rotorua. Go to our Buses to and From Tauranga page for more info.
