A new bus service from the Coromandel to Rotorua and back has been introduced, giving locals and tourists a direct link between the regions.
The daily service, run by Coromandel Adventures, will go from Coromandel town via Tapu, Thames, Paeroa, Te Aroha, Matamata and Tirau before stopping in Rotorua.
The first journey was today , pulling into Rotorua at 11.40am.
Coromandel Adventures owners Sarni Hart and Will Lochore said there was always the intention to bring a service to Rotorua.
"Everyone we asked where they were going would say Rotorua and people who came up from south would say they were just in Rotorua so our response was to make that connection," Mr Lochore said.