People along the Waikouaiti Coast and in the Ōamaru area will soon benefit from significant public transport improvements, with Otago Regional Council trialling expanded 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.
Fares for the new services have not yet been confirmed and are expected to be considered by Council in late September.
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.
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.
There are additional stops in Ōamaru, these will be added to the timetable and available to view in your transit app or the Orbus timetable once live.
Bus stop | Departure time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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.
Bus stop | Departure time | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
Bus stop | Departure time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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.
Bus stop | Departure time | ||
|---|---|---|---|
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 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.
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.
Te kake i te pahi Using the bus
Find info on how to take a bus, bus alerts, what you can take on the bus, school buses, concessions (such as SuperGold), public holidays, tracking your bus, FAQs and more.
Utu Fares
Find information on bus and ferry fares for adults, children, Community Service card holders and SuperGold card holders.
Wātaka pahi o Ōtepoti Dunedin bus timetables
Find all the different bus routes and times in Dunedin, including to Mosgiel and Palmerston, along with school bus timetables. You can also download a timetable booklet that includes a map.
