Transport > New Zealand & Pacific Islands > New Zealand > Bus and coach travel > Backpackers Buses > Magic Transport Network
Magic Transport Network
The Magic Travellers Network (tel (09) 358 5600) is a good alternative to Kiwi Experience and Stray. Like the Kiwi bus, Magic runs along a fixed route giving travellers the option to get on and off whenever they wish. Travellers have up to 12 months to complete their journey.
The various passes are restricted to a particular route and there are compulsory overnight stops. The Magic Network covers most parts of the country, but some regions including the Catlins*, East Cape and Taranaki are not covered (* Magic sell travel on the Catlins Coaster as an add-on pass). Some of the passes on the Magic Network include travel on the TranzAlpine train between Greymouth and Christchurch.
National passes
Magic Travellers Network passes covering both North and South Islands include:
Auckland to Queenstown
The Auckland to Queenstown pass takes you between Auckland and Queenstown. In the North Island you travel between Auckland and Wellington with stops at Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi and Palmerston North. In the South Island you go from Picton to Nelson and then down the West Coast to Queenstown.
Start Auckland; finish Queenstown.
Overnight stops Auckland, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Makarora, Nelson, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington
Price $412
Minimum trip 8 days
Kiwi Explorer
The Kiwi Explorer pass starts in Christchurch and includes travel by train to Greymouth, then bus travel down the West Coast to Wanaka and Queenstown, across to Dunedin and back up to Christchurch. Then it’s back on the train to Kaikoura and Picton and across to the North Island where you can visit Wellington, Napier, Taupo, Rotorua and Thames before finishing in Auckland.
Start Christchurch; finish Auckland
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Mount Maunganui, Napier, Queenstown, Tekapo, Wellington
Price $603
Minimum trip 11 days
Kiwi Traverse
Starting in Auckland and finishing in Christchurch, this pass combines coach and rail travel. In the North Island it includes transport between Auckland and Wellington with stops in Thames, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Taupo and Hawkes Bay. In the South Island it includes train travel on the TranzCoastal train between Picton and Christchurch and the Tranz Alpine from Christchurch to Greymouth. In Greymouth you pick up the coach, which takes you down the West Coast to Queenstown, across to Dunedin and back up to Christchurch.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Makarora, Queenstown, Rotorua, Turangi, Wellington
Price $616
Minimum trip 11 days
Magic Adventure
Essentially this pass is the same as the Wayward Wanderer except that it doesn’t include any destinations north of Auckland. It covers the North Island south of Auckland including Rotorua, Taupo, Hawkes Bay and Wellington and the east and west coasts of the South Island as far south as Dunedin and Queenstown.
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Mount Maunganui, Nelson, Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi, Wellington
Price $519
Minimum trip 16 days
Navigator
Starting in Christchurch, this pass covers both the east and west coasts of the South Island going as far south as Dunedin and Queenstown. In the North Island, this pass includes transport between Wellington and Auckland with stops in Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Mount Maunganui and Thames.
Start Christchurch; finish Auckland.
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Mount Maunganui, Nelson, Queenstown, Taupo, Wellington
Price $425
Minimum trip 14 days
Navigator Plus
Starting in Christchurch, this pass covers both the east and west coasts of the South Island going as far south as Dunedin, Milford Sound and Queenstown. In the North Island, this pass includes transport between Wellington and Auckland with stops in Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Mount Maunganui and Thames. It also includes transport to Paihia in the Bay of Islands and Cape Reinga at the far north of the North Island.
Start Christchurch; finish Auckland.
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Mount Maunganui, Nelson, Queenstown, Wellington, Whitianga
Price $927
Minimum trip 20 days
New Zealand Encounter
This pass starts in Auckland and includes the Coromandel Peninsula, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington on the North Island. On the South Island it travels to Nelson and down the West Coast to Wanaka and Queenstown, then on to Dunedin and up to Christchurch.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch
Overnight stops Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Nelson, Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo, Tekapo, Wellington, Whitianga
Price $468
Minimum trip 14 days
New Zealand North & South
This pass starts in Auckland and includes travel to Wellington with stops at Waitomo, Rotorua and Taupo. In the South Island it covers the west coast as far south as Queenstown and then continues up to Christchurch via Dunedin.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Auckland, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Makarora, Nelson, Queenstown, Rotorua, Turangi, Wellington
Price $532
Minimum trip 11 days
Spirit of New Zealand
This pass covers most of the country including Northland and the Bay of Islands, Rotorua and Hawkes Bay in the North Island and both the east and west coast of the South Island including Queenstown and Milford Sound.
Overnight stops Paihia, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Mount Maunganui, Nelson, Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi, Wellington, Whitianga
Price $1035
Minimum trip 23 days
TranzAlpine and the North
This pass starts in Christchurch taking the scenic TranzAlpine train across Arthurs Pass to Greymouth on the West Coast. In Greymouth you pick up the coach, which takes you down to Queenstown, across to Dunedin, and then north to Christchurch and Picton. In the North Island, this pass includes transport between Wellington and Auckland with stops in Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Mount Maunganui and Thames.
Start Christchurch; finish Auckland.
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Mount Maunganui, Queenstown, Taupo, Wellington
Price $543
Minimum trip 12 days
Wayward Wanderer
This pass covers most of the country stopping at more or less the same places as the Spirit of New Zealand; except it doesn’t include Abel Tasman National Park, Te Anau and Milford Sound in the South Island. It also doesn’t go north of Thames on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Mount Maunganui, Nelson, Queenstown, Paihia, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi, Wellington
Price $804
Minimum trip 20 days
North Island passes
Magic passes covering the North Island only include:
Auckland to Wellington
This Auckland to Wellington pass covers transport between Auckland and Wellington with stops in Waitomo, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi and Palmerston North.
Start Auckland; finish Wellington.
Overnight stops Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi, Wellington
Price $219
Minimum trip 3 days
Northern Discovery
The Northern Discovery pass allows you to take a round-trip between Auckland and Wellington with stops in Thames, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Taupo, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Turangi and Waitomo.
Overnight stops Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Taupo, Turangi, Wellington
Price $358
Minimum trip 6 days
Pacific Coaster
The Pacific Coaster pass lets you travel north from Wellington to Auckland. It includes stops in Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Mount Maunganui, Thames and Auckland.
Start Wellington; finish Auckland
Overnight stops Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Napier, Wellington
Price $189
Minimum trip 3 days
Top of the North
This pass covers the central North Island with return transport between Auckland and Taupo. Stops include Thames, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Taupo and Waitomo.
Start/finish Auckland
Overnight stops Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, Taupo
Price $205
Minimum trip 4 days
South Island passes
The following Magic passes only include the South Island:
Southern Discovery
This pass covers a circular route taking in both the east and west coasts of the South Island, going as far south as Christchurch and Dunedin.
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Makarora, Nelson, Queenstown
Price $448
Minimum trip 9 days
Top of the South
This pass includes bus travel from Christchurch to Kaikoura, Picton, Nelson, Westport and Greymouth and train travel between Greymouth and Christchurch.
Start/finish Christchurch, Nelson or Picton
Overnight stops Christchurch, Kaikoura, Greymouth, Nelson
Price $284
Minimum trip 4 days
TranzAlpine Experience
The TransAlpine Experience starts and finishes in Christchurch and includes the scenic TranzAlpine train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth on the West Coast. From Greymouth, you travel by coach down the West Coast to Queenstown, then across to Dunedin, and back north to Christchurch.
Start/finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Makarora, Queenstown
Price $442
Minimum trip 7 days
Wild West Coast
The Wild West Coast pass includes travel on the West Coast of the South Island between Nelson and Queenstown.
Start Nelson; finish Queenstown.
Overnight stops Franz Josef, Greymouth, Nelson
Price $255
Minimum trip 4 days
Magic Coach & Jet Passes
There are also several Magic passes that encompass both islands and include a domestic flight. These passes are ideal if your time in New Zealand is limited but you want to see as much as possible. Magic coach and jet passes include:
Kaka Pass
This pass includes coach travel from Auckland, via Waitomo, to Rotorua; a flight between Rotorua and Christchurch and travel on the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth. In Greymouth you take the coach down the West Coast to Queenstown, across to Dunedin and back up to Christchurch.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tekapo
Price $740
Minimum trip 9 days
Kea Pass
The Kea pass includes a flight between Auckland and Christchurch as well as travel on the scenic TranzAlpine train between Christchurch and Greymouth on the West Coast. In Greymouth you join the coach, which takes you south to Queenstown, across to Dunedin and back up to Christchurch.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Queenstown, Tekapo
Price $667
Minimum trip 8 days
Kokako Pass
This pass includes coach travel from Auckland, via Waitomo, to Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington, ferry travel to the South Island and train travel to Kaikoura, Christchurch and across to Greymouth, then bus travel down the West Coast to Wanaka and Queenstown, then across to Dunedin, Tekapo and Christchurch and a flight back to Auckland.
Start/finish Auckland
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo, Tekapo, Wellington
Price $950
Minimum trip 12 days
Tui Pass
This pass includes a flight between Auckland and Christchurch and coach travel around the South Island. Destinations covered include both the east and west coasts of the South Island, taking you as far south as Dunedin and Queenstown.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Kaikoura, Nelson, Queenstown
Price $673
Minimum trip 10 days
Weka Pass
This pass includes a flight between Auckland and Wellington, the ferry from Wellington to Picton and coach travel on the South Island. Coach travel on the South Island goes from Picton to Nelson and Westport, then down the West Coast to Wanaka and Queenstown, across to Dunedin and up to Christchurch.
Start Auckland; finish Christchurch.
Overnight stops Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Franz Josef, Greymouth, Nelson, Queenstown, Tekapo, Wellington
Price $684
Minimum trip 9 days
Optional Connections
Magic Transport Network also offers a choice of add-on passes that include travel to the Coromandel Peninsula, the Catlins, Northland and transfers to Abel Tasman National Park and Milford Sound.
