Skipping To Auckland , and saving $150 million !
In the morning , I'm on the 6.30am Skip bus to Auckland . A lot of people are still on holiday , so it will be interesting to see how many people are on it . It gets to Sky City Auckland by 8.30 . Cost $11 incl booking fee and credit card fee .
At 5.30pm , I'm coming back , also on Skip -- get back 7.30pm . Another $11 .
I don't actually have much to do in Auckland , but I have a cunning plan . So I want to see what the bus service is like , and arguably I should have waited a couple of weeks , until most commuters are back at work .
See -- I have a plan . It appears a crowd funded commuter bus service could be operational , with all the NZTA legal requirements , within 3 months .
On-line ticketing would take a bit of effort from the boffins . Registration with NZTA seems logical if you follow their guidelines , don't cut corners . It appears you don't even need to file any planned routes or anything -- you do if you are wanting to operate Urban ( subsidised ) services . You would want to ask permission to use bus stops , but if King Andrew says No , as they are public places and publicly funded , it appears they can't stop you . The Transport Centre is slightly different -- even though it is publicly funded and a public place , it does have different rules .
Even the buses themselves aren't a huge problem -- you want nice , and a bit of room . I don't think you want 55 seater coaches initially -- in my head , I reckon 2 x 25 seaters ( 15 year old ones seem to be around $50K ) and 2 long wheelbase , high roof vans , like Transits or Hi Aces -- around $25-30 k each .
Anyway , anyone interested , I'll do some updates , and I reckon that collectively a few people can put together something that will cover costs and maybe make a return , probably work in with Skip timetables to get 2 or 3 buses a day each way .
By the way , I don't work in Auckland , I don't want to be a huge spoiler , but by a few people using a few brains , we can completely show up the 'backers' ( local and Govt politicians , and NZTA ) of the $120-150 million dollar train drain .
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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53.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.6% Critical thinking
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29.1% Resilience and adaptability
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2.6% Other - I will share below!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Poll: Are you a Te Huia fan?
All three Hamilton MPs appear to be united behind the retention of the Te Huia passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland, as well as potentially expanding it to Tauranga.
But whether Hamilton East’s Ryan Hamilton, Hamilton West’s Tama Potaka and soon-to-be Labour list MP Georgie Dansey have the combined power to shunt transport minister Chris Bishop and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon onto their line of thinking remains to be seen.
Are you a Te Huia fan? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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81.4% Yes
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18.6% No
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