Changes to fares and zones

During October, the Ōamaru to Dunedin service will have introductory fares – Adult Bee card holders will be able to travel for $2.50 per single trip.

Zoned fares and new pricing will start on 1 November, and we will share more information about this soon.

People along the Waikouaiti Coast and in the Ōamaru area will soon benefit from significant public transport improvements, with Otago Regional Council expanding Route 1 services from 1 October 2026.

A new electric bus service will provide a direct connection between Ōamaru and Dunedin, operating one return trip each day, seven days a week. The service will serve Ōamaru, Maheno, Hampden, Palmerston, Waikouaiti and Waitati.

To improve weekend access for coastal communities, each day there will be:

  • one Ōamaru to Dunedin return trip

  • two Palmerston to Dunedin return trips

These will also travel through Warrington and Karitane. 

The Dunedin to Palmerston service will see some timing changes and will be operated using two new large electric buses designed for longer-distance travel. These vehicles will provide a more comfortable journey, with comfortable seating and seatbelts for passengers.

Route 1 Extension: Ōamaru – Dunedin *NEW*

  • One return trip daily, seven days a week.

  • Departs North Ōamaru at 8:21am.

  • Departs Dunedin at 5:05pm.

  • Operates via Maheno, Hampden, Palmerston, Waikouaiti and Waitati.

  • On weekdays, Route 1 services travelling to and from Ōamaru will not divert through Karitane and Warrington, helping improve journey times.

Ōamaru bus fares for October 2026

Zoned fares and new pricing will start on 1 November, and we’ll share more information about this soon.

You can only use cash or a Bee Card to pay for your bus fare.

Bank and credit cards cannot be used on buses to pay for a bus fare.

Bee Cards can be purchased for $5 plus a minimum $5 top up, either on the Bee Card website or in person at a Bee Card retailer. You can also buy a Bee Card from your driver, but you need to pay the card, and minimum $5 top up, in cash.

Age group

Bee Card fares

Cash

Under 5

Free

Free

Child 5–12 years

$1.50

$3

Youth (13–18 years)

$1.50

$3

Adult (19+)

$2.50

$3

Community Connect

$1.25

$3

SuperGold (65+)

Peak: $2.50
Off-peak: Free with SuperGold concession loaded onto a registered Bee Card. Learn more about off-peak hours here.

$3

Bus Stop Information

Across Ōamaru, nine new bus stops will provide morning pickup points and nine will provide evening drop-off points.

Individual stop times will be available on the Route 1 timetable page soon.

Please wait a moment for the interactive map for bus stops in Ōamaru to load. Zoom in to see the Ōamaru bus stop name. 

GTFS DN Route 1 Ōamaru Map Oct 2026

Summary timetables

Weekday: Ōamaru to City and Palmerston to City

Bus stop

Departure time

Not showing all Ōamaru or Dunedin stops

North End (Ōamaru Outside Iona Home & Hospital)

-

-

8:21 am

-

-

Maheno (near corner of Maheno-Kakanui Road on SH1)

-

-

8:42 am

-

-

Hampden (outside Hampden Takeaways)

-

-

8:56 am

-

-

Palmerston (Bond Street)

6:53 am

-

9:15 am

10:55 am

4:54 pm

Kildare Street (Waikouaiti)

7:04 am

-

9:25 am

11:05 am

5:04 pm

Karitane (Outside General Store)

7:19 am

-

-

11:20 am

5:19 pm

Warrington School

-

7:42 am

-

11:41 am

5:40 pm

Waitati, SH1 towards City

7:39 am

7:45 am

9:44 am

11:44 am

5:43 pm

Bus Hub Stop H

8:06 am

8:11 am

10:10 am

12:08 pm

6:07 pm

Please note, timetables may differ during School Holidays.

This simplified timetable only shows key bus stops, please view the full timetable for complete details 

Weekend: Ōamaru to City and Palmerston to City

This simplified timetable only shows key bus stops, please view the full timetable for complete details 

Bus stop

Departure time

Not showing all Ōamaru or Dunedin stops

North End (Ōamaru Outside Iona Home & Hospital)

8:21 am

-

-

Maheno (near corner of Maheno-Kakanui Road on SH1)

8:42 am

-

-

Hampden (outside Hampden Takeaways)

8:56 am

-

-

Palmerston (Bond Street)

9:15 am

12:05 pm

3:25 pm

Kildare Street (Waikouaiti)

9:25 am

12:15 pm

3:35 pm

Karitane (Outside General Store)

9:40 am

12:30 pm

3:50 pm

Warrington School

10:00 am

12:52 pm

4:12 pm

Waitati, SH1 towards City

10:07 am

12:57 pm

4:17 pm

Bus Hub Stop H

10:31 am

1:21 pm

4:41 pm

Weekday: City to Palmerston and City to Ōamaru

This simplified timetable only shows key bus stops, please view the full timetable for complete details 

Bus stop

Departure time

Not showing all Ōamaru or Dunedin stops

Bus Hub Stop E

8:45 am

3:31 pm

3:33 pm

5:05 pm

6:20 pm

Waitati, Harvey St

9:07 am

3:55 pm

3:57 pm

5:26 pm

6:42 pm

Warrington School

9:14 am

-

4:06 pm

-

6:49 pm

Karitane (Outside General Store)

9:34 am

4:17 pm

-

-

7:09 pm

Kildare Street (Waikouaiti)

9:45 am

4:32 pm

-

5:52 pm

7:20 pm

Palmerston (Bond Street)

9:58 am

4:47 pm

-

6:07 pm

7:33 pm

Hampden (near Hampden Bar-Bistro)

-

-

-

6:22 pm

-

Maheno (Outside Gull Petrol Station)

-

-

-

6:36 pm

-

North End (Ōamaru Outside Iona Home & Hospital)

-

-

-

7:02 pm

-

Please note, timetables may differ during School Holidays.

Weekend: City to Palmerston and City to Ōamaru

This simplified timetable only shows key bus stops, please view the full timetable for complete details 

Bus stop

Departure time

Not showing all Ōamaru or Dunedin stops

Bus Hub Stop E

10:40 am

2:00 pm

5:05 pm

Waitati, Harvey St

11:02 am

2:22 pm

5:27 pm

Warrington School

11:09 am

2:29 pm

5:34 pm

Karitane (Outside General Store)

11:29 am

2:49 pm

5:52 pm

Kildare Street (Waikouaiti)

11:40 am

3:00 pm

6:05 pm

Palmerston (Bond Street)

11:54 am

3:14 pm

6:19 pm

Hampden (near Hampden Bar-Bistro)

-

-

6:34 pm

Maheno (Outside Gull Petrol Station)

-

-

6:48 pm

North End (Ōamaru Outside Iona Home & Hospital)

-

-

7:13 pm

Bee Card Information

  • Bee Cards can be purchased from the bus driver for $5, with a minimum $5 top-up required.

  • Bee Cards can also be purchased online through the Bee Card website.

  • Remember to tag on when boarding and tag off when leaving the bus.

  • Payment can be made using a Bee Card or cash. EFTPOS is not available on board.

  • More information is available on the Orbus Bee Card page and the Bee Card website.

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Route 1 Palmerston – Dunedin

On weekdays there will still be four return trips daily, with slight changes to the timetable:

  • Palmerston to Dunedin, first trip leaving Palmerston at 6:53am and last trip arriving Palmerston at 7:33pm

  • Dunedin to Palmerston, first trip leaving Dunedin at 8:45am and last trip arriving Dunedin at 6:07pm

  • The Ōamaru service has been added to the timetable, traveling return between Ōamaru and Dunedin, via Palmerston in both directions.

  • The return trip between Dunedin and Warrington School has minor timetable changes. 

On a Saturday and Sunday there will be three trips in each direction, one of these trips will extend from/to Ōamaru.