Christmas is coming and bus services in Northland will be free on Friday 22 December, making it easy to head into town for last-minute shopping or for a Christmas visit to friends and whānau.

All BusLink and CityLink services will be free on the day, thanks to a joint initiative between the Northland Regional Council and bus operators.

Not all BusLink services run on Fridays, but the Far North Link will be free all day and drivers will have some festive giveaways for passengers. The security team at Whangārei’s Rose Street bus terminus will be spreading the Christmas goodwill with small giveaways. Other BusLink services will have giveaways during the week, so passengers can ask their driver.

Councillor Joe Carr, chair of the Northland Regional Transport Committee, says that passengers should check CityLink and BusLink websites, or CityLink’s Facebook page, for revised bus timetables during the Christmas period. No buses will run on national public holidays.

Beach Buses are back this summer too. The buses will run between Whangārei and Ocean Beach and Ruakākā Beach every Thursday from 21 December to 25 January 2025. The Ocean Beach bus leaves Rose Street at 10am and returns at 2.30pm, while the Ruakākā Beach bus departs Rose Street at 11.15am and returns at 2pm. The cost is $5 each way.

Councillor Carr says that the beach buses are a great way to take the stress out of your day, by leaving the car at home for a trip to the beach, and reducing carbon emissions by using public transport.

More details on timetables, fares and beach buses are available at buslink.co.nz and citylinkwhangarei.co.nz and by following CityLink’s Facebook page.

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