People joining Matariki celebrations in Ōtepoti Dunedin and Kā-Muriwai Arrowtown will be able to catch public buses to festivities over the long weekend.

Otago Regional Council Transport Manager Lorraine Cheyne says buses will offer people a great way to get around both centres, whether it’s to spend time with whanau and friends or attend one of the public Matariki celebrations on offer.

“In Ōtepoti-Dunedin taking the bus is a good option to get to Puaka Matariki Festival events, particularly the Matariki drone show on Saturday evening which is expected to draw thousands of people to the University Oval. With our usual Saturday timetable operating, there will be five buses stopping at Logan Park near the venue every hour.”

Ms Cheyne says the bus is also a handy option for travelling to and from the Matariki Arrowtown Kā-Muriwai celebrations in Tāhuna-Queenstown on Friday.

“People can avoid parking problems by catching the regular Arrowtown bus service, which runs from Arthurs Point via the Stanley St and Frankton bus hubs,” says Ms Cheyne.

The public holiday for Matariki is on Friday 28 June which means buses in Ōtepoti-Dunedin will be running on a Sunday timetable, while there will be no changes to the schedule in Tāhuna-Queenstown

A public holiday in Aotearoa-New Zealand since 2022, Matariki is the Māori name for the Pleiades star cluster, which rises in mid-winter and heralds the start of the Māori New Year. It is a time for remembrance, celebrating the present, and looking to the future.

This year’s theme, "Matariki Heri Kai" - the Feast of Matariki, emphasises the importance of food and gathering, echoing the Māori proverb "Matariki whetū heri kai," meaning "Matariki, the bringer of food."

Dunedin Orbus services over Matariki weekend:

• All buses will run on a Sunday schedule on Friday 28 June.
• On Saturday 29 June, the following services will stop at Logan Park:
  • Route 63 (Balaclava-Logan Park), every 30 minutes.
  • Route 14 (Port Chalmers), every 60 minutes.
  • Routes 15 (Ridge Runner), every 60 minutes.
  • Routes 37/38 (University), every 60 minutes.
• Queenstown Orbus services over Matariki weekend:
• All buses will run on the usual timetable on Friday 28 June.
• On Friday, 28 June, the Route 2 (Arrowtown) service will run at these times:
  • every 30 minutes from 5.55am to 7.55am, and 3.50pm to 6.55pm, from Arthurs Point and Arrowtown via Stanley St and the Frankton Bus Hub.
  • every 60 minutes from 7.55am to 2.55pm, and 6.55pm to 9.55pm, from Arthurs Point and Arrowtown via Stanley St and the Frankton Bus Hub.

© Scoop Media