Road Rotorua is served by
state highways 5,
30, and
30A, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route, with
state highways 33 and
36 terminating on the outskirts of the city. State Highway 5, running concurrently with the Thermal Explorer Highway, is the main north–south route through Rotorua, bypassing the city centre to the west. North of the city at Ngongotahā, State Highway 36 splits off to provide a route to
Tauranga via Pyes Pa, while State Highway 5 turns westward, connecting to
State Highway 1 at
Tīrau and providing the main route into Rotorua from
Hamilton and
Auckland. To the south, State Highway 5 provides the main route from
Taupō,
Hawke's Bay,
Manawatū, and
Wellington. State Highway 30 runs southwest to northeast through the city. It enters the city in the southwest (running concurrently with SH 5), before crossing the southern suburbs to the shore of Lake Rotorua east of the city centre. It then runs through the suburb of Te Ngae, before splitting off SH 33 to continue eastwards. State Highway 30A runs northwest to southeast, connecting State Highways 5 and 30 with each other via the city centre.
Bus Rotorua has a local bus service, with 11 routes under the Baybus brand, serving the urban area, mostly at half-hourly intervals, operated by
Reesby Buses.
Bike racks were introduced in 2017 and
Bee Cards for fares on 27 July 2020. Trial commuter services between Rotorua and Tauranga are running in each direction until the end of 2021. The city is also served by
InterCity and services to local tourist sites.
History Edwin Robertson, who died aged 74 in 1931, started with
pack horses in 1869 and ran coaches from 1873. In 1902, the Tauranga route was sold and became Robertson & Co, then, about 1903, Rotorua Motor Coaching Co. Ltd.
Waiotapu and all the lakes, and Rotorua Motor Coaching added motor cars to their fleets of coaches. In 1905 E. Robertson & Co moved from
Ohinemutu to the new town, close to the new railway station, to the Tourism Office in 1995. The last coach ran in 1919. When Hot Lakes Transport's assets were sold in 1920, they had 10 coaches and 3 motor cars. In September 1920, Rotorua Motor Transport Co. was formed and took over Hot Lakes Transport Co. and Rotorua Motor Coaching Co, continuing with similar services. In 1926, a consortium of local operators formed Rotorua Bus Co. During 1922, Kusab's transport company became K Motors, Rotorua Motor Transport and Rotorua Bus Co followed in 1940 and all became part of
New Zealand Railways Road Services.
Air Rotorua Regional Airport is located northeast of the city centre, off State Highway 30.
Air New Zealand provides daily
turbo-prop flights between Rotorua and
Auckland,
Wellington, and
Christchurch airports. Previously
Qantas also operated Boeing 737 aircraft from Christchurch, but upon their departure from domestic flights in New Zealand this was discontinued. Scenic and chartered flights in both helicopters and float planes are operated by Volcanic Air, who are based on Rotorua's lake front. From 2009 to 2015 there was also an international link, with direct Sydney to Rotorua flights.
Rail Rotorua is connected to the rail network by the
Rotorua Branch line from
Putāruru. Until 8 October 2001, passenger trains ran from Auckland to Rotorua via Hamilton daily using Silver Fern railcars, terminating north of the town centre at Koutu (the original station on Amohau Street was closed and relocated to Koutu on 18 August 1989). However, owing to poor advertising of the service and the location of the station being a 15-minute walk from the town centre in an industrial area, passenger services stopped in October 2001. Freight services on the line declined over the decades until the nightly freight service stopped in June 2000, largely due to a continual move of freight and passengers onto road transport using ever-improving highways in the region. The line is currently disused. ==Education==