Council starts bus trials for Hikurangi and Whangārei Heads

The Hikurangi Link will leave Whangārei inner city on Thursdays bound for Hikurangi Town Centre arriving opposite The Miners Rest. Photo / Tania Whyte

Stranded, wheel-less Hikurangi and Whangārei Heads' residents will soon be able to do their Christmas shopping and attend central city appointments with a new public transport service headed their way.

The service, beginning early next month, is a one-year trial that residents of those areas are being urged to support if it is to continue, said Northland Regional Council chairwoman Penny Smart.

"As always, the viability of any trial transport service depends on the public supporting it and I'd encourage anyone needing to get to town for shopping or appointments to use the services."

Both trials will involve 25-seater Ritchies buses operating once a week on a Thursday with a morning and afternoon run.

The Hikurangi Link will leave Whangārei's inner city Rose St bus terminal at 9.15am on Thursdays bound for Hikurangi Town Centre arriving at 9.52am and stopping opposite The Miners Rest, before returning to Rose St.

En route for Hikurangi, the bus will stop at 509 Kamo Rd and again at 410 Kamo Rd on its return trip to central Whangarei Central, where it is expected to arrive at the terminal at 10.25am.

Smart says the Hikurangi Link will cater largely to people heading to the city wanting to shop and/or meet medical and other appointments.

"During the holidays, the service could be used to get to the Waro Limestone Scenic Reserve or to visit the Hikurangi Historical Museum which is open on every Thursday from 10am-11.30am (or by appointment)," she said.

The bus will begin the estimated 37-minute return to Hikurangi from the terminal at 1.30pm. Trips will cost $3 each way.

The Whangārei Heads Link will pick-up and drop-off from the corner of Reotahi and Whangārei Heads Rd. Photo / Tania Whyte

Meanwhile, the Whangārei Heads Link will make one trip from the corner of Reotahi and Whangārei Heads Rd to the bus terminal.

The bus will depart at 9am on Thursdays, stopping at McLeod Bay playground, Parua Bay, Manganese Point, Tamaterau and Waikaraka for a 40-minute journey to the city.

The return trip will depart 1.30pm with journeys costing $5 each way.

The trials are expected to cost $30,000-$35,000 each.

Smart said the Northland Regional Council increased the district-wide Targeted Transport Rate for the 2018-2021 financial period for the purpose of trialling passenger transport services in three key areas of the Whangārei district; Hikurangi, Whangārei Heads and Ruakaka/Waipū. While the latter service began last year, the service to the other two areas was delayed due to a lack of people using public transport services with Covid-19.

Both new services are due to begin November 5 and timetables for each (and further information) can be found online at www.buslink.co.nz.

Meanwhile, there will also be a short Christmas school holiday Beach Bus trial from Rose St bus terminal operating only on December 17, 24 and 31, 2020 and January 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2021.

People wanting to travel to Ocean Beach can catch this service at Rose St bus terminal on these days at 11am. The bus returns from Ocean Beach carpark at 2.30pm and the trip will cost $10 per person return.

Said Smart: "We'd really like people to tell us what they think of the service, what might be useful to them and what more we can do with this trial to help us improve it as we go."

The regional council is encouraging feedback to be emailed to buslink@nrc.govt.nz before a formal review in three months time.

"There's definitely flexibility to make changes before then based on feedback as we need to; that's the point of a trial service," she added.

Ritchies Transport Northland area manager Tony Manga said he hoped people made use of the service for it to continue but similar services hadn't been supported in the past.

"I think it's a Kiwi thing - we're very independent - us Kiwis just love our cars but we've got to keep trying these things."