New Zealand Travel Information
InterCity Coachlines
New Zealand's major coachline operates buses to most destinations in both the North and South Islands. Although most travellers buy individual tickets, you can save up to 40% by buying one of the passes that are available. The range of passes offered by InterCity is quite confusing (although not as confusing as Kiwi Experience) with specific passes valid only on certain routes.
Discounts are available with VIP and YHA hostel cards.
Passes include:
Pathfinder
Pass
Travel in either direction from Christchurch to Auckland, via Mount
Cook National Park, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Fox and Franz Josef
Glaciers, Greymouth, Nelson, Picton, Wellington, Taupo, Rotorua,
Waitomo Caves, Hamilton and Auckland.
Trailblazer
Pass
Travel in either direction taking in a circular loop of the South
Island stopping at Picton, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown,
Fox Glacier, Franz Josef, Greymouth and Nelson, in the North Island
the pass allows travel between Wellington and Auckland stopping
at Taupo, Rotorua, Waitomo Caves and Hamilton. It also includes
a loop from Auckland to the Bay of Islands and the Waipoua Forest.
Scenic
Explorer Pass
The Scenic Explorer covers the same destinations in the South Island
as the Trailblazer Pass, however it covers more destinations in
the North Island. Destinations in the North Island include: Auckland,
Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula, Tauranga, Hamilton, Waitomo
Caves, Rotorua, Taupo, Whakatane, Gisborne, Napier, Palmerston North
and Wellington.
Total
New Zealand Experience Pass
The Total New Zealand Experience covers the same destinations in
the South Island as the Pathfinder Pass, however it covers more
destinations in the North Island. Destinations in the North Island
include: Auckland, Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula, Tauranga,
Hamilton, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Palmerston North
and Wellington. /font>
The above passes do not include the ferry between the North and South Islands.
InterCity Coachlines also have a range of travel passes for travel in just the North or South Island. These passes include:
Pacific
Coast Highway (North Island)
This pass follows the Pacific coast from Auckland to Wellington.
Stops on this route include: The Coromandel Peninsula, Tauranga,
Rotorua, Gisborne and Napier.
Coromandel
Trail (North Island)
This pass allows travel via the Coromandel Peninsula terminating
either in Rotorua, Tauranga or back in Auckland.
Coromandel
Loop (North Island)
This is a shorter route allowing you to travel around the
Coromandel Peninsula. It is ideal if you have transport to the peninsula
via another travel pass but no other way to explore it. It departs
from Thames .
North
Island Value Pass (North Island)
This pass allows travel in either direction between Auckland and
Wellington with stopovers in Taupo, Rotorua and either Tauranga
or Hamilton and Waitomo Caves.
Twin
Coast Discovery (North Island)
This pass starts in Auckland and finishes in Auckland. It covers
the top of the North Island including Dargaville, Waipoua Forest,
Omapere, Paihia and Whangarei.
North
Island Combo (North Island)
This pass combines the North Island Value Pass and the Twin Coast
Discovery Pass.
Forests,
Islands and Geysers (North Island)
The Forests, Islands and Geysers travel pass departs Auckland for
Paihia, Great Barrier Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula and continues
to Rotorua via Tauranga. From Rotorua, you may continue either back
to Auckland via Hamilton and Waitomo Caves, or south to Wellington
via Taupo. This pass includes flights on Great Barrier Airlines
between Paihia, Great Barrier Island and Whitianga on the Coromandel
Peninsula.
East
Coast Explorer (South Island)
This pass allows you to travel from Picton to Queenstown or Te Anau,
or Queenstown or Te Anau to Picton. It also includes Blenheim, Kaikoura,
Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Milton, Alexandra
and Cromwell.
Milford
Bound Adventurer (South Island)
The Milford Bound Adventurer allows you to travel in either direction
between Christchurch and Queenstown (via Mount Cook including Milford
Sound). It also includes Methven, Fairlie, Tekapo, Twizel, Omarama,
Cromwell and Te Anau.
Southern
Discovery (South Island)
The Southern Discovery pass allows you to travel in either direction
between Greymouth and Christchurch (via Queenstown, Milford Sound
and Mount Cook). This pass also includes Methven, Fairlie, Tekapo,
Omarama, Twizel, Cromwell, Wanaka, Fox Glacier, Franz Josef and
Hokitika.
The
Southern Experience (South Island)
The Southern Experience pass allows you to travel around the South
Island in a return trip from Christchurch to Christchurch or Picton
to Picton. The pass includes Kaikoura, Tekapo, Oamarama, Twizel,
Mount Cook, Cromwell, Queenstown, Lumsden, Te Anau, Milford Sound,
Wanaka, Haast, Fox Glacier, Franz Josef, Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport
and Nelson.
South
Island Extreme (South Island)
The Southern Experience pass allows you to travel around the South
Island in a return trip from Christchurch to Christchurch or Picton
to Picton. The pass includes Blenheim, Kaikoura, Ashburton, Timaru,
Oamaru, Dunedin, Alexandra, Cromwell, Gore, Lumsden, Te Anau, Queenstown,
Milford Sound, Wanaka, Haast, Fox Glacier, Franz Josef, Hokitika,
Westport, Murchison and Nelson.
West
Coast Passport (South Island)
The West Coast Passport runs in either direction from either Greymouth,
Picton or Nelson to Queenstown with stops along the West Coast of
New Zealand's South Island.
New Zealand TravelPass
Travel on InterCity buses is also included in the New Zealand TravelPass. This is a much easier to understand travel option allowing the holder unlimited bus travel within a specified number of days within a six month period. Depending on the pass, the unlimited bus travel may be supplemented by a certain number of rail journeys, inter-island ferry travel and an Air New Zealand flight. Check our page on the New Zealand TravelPass for more information.
Best of New Zealand Pass
You can use your Best of New Zealand Pass to travel on InterCity coaches. Check our page on the The Best of New Zealand Pass for more information.