Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Motorcyclist dies after colliding with school bus in Rūātoki, eastern Bay of Plenty

By Sandra Conchie & Rosalie Liddle Crawford
SunLive·
1 Aug, 2025 03:54 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Police and other emergency services have attended a crash in Rūātoki that left a motorcyclist dead. Photo / NZME

Police and other emergency services have attended a crash in Rūātoki that left a motorcyclist dead. Photo / NZME

The death of a motorcyclist after colliding with a school bus has been described as “gut-wrenching” for a rural Bay of Plenty community.

Emergency services were called to the crash about 3pm in Rūātoki, south of Whakatāne.

Police said the motorcyclist died at the scene of the crash, at the intersection of Rūātoki Valley Rd and No 1 Rd.

No other injuries were reported.

Rūātoki Valley Rd is closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducts a scene examination. Detours are in place.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Whakatāne District Council Te Urewera general ward councillor Andrew Iles said it was “gut-wrenching news”, not only for the rider’s family but for the bus driver, the children on the bus and everyone involved.

“It’s one of those tragedies you never want to hear about. My deepest sympathies to the rider’s family and to all the whānau involved.”

Rūātoki was one of several communities in eastern Bay of Plenty hit hard by flooding this week.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“There have been so many weather events and so many road closures in our district this week … To weather that storm, and have this happen, is going to have a huge impact on lots of people in our close-knit community,” Iles said.

Flooding affected parts of the eastern Bay of Plenty this week. Photo / Steven Woods
Flooding affected parts of the eastern Bay of Plenty this week. Photo / Steven Woods

Uzabus operates several school buses in the Whakatāne district, including in Rūātoki.

Eastern Bay of Plenty fleet operations manager Justin (JJ) Holland-Goodwin said he was waiting to speak to the driver.

“At the moment I have very limited information other than that all the students on board are safe. The driver is safe. Unfortunately, the motorcyclist is deceased.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was called at 3.03pm and responded with two fire engines, one from Tāneatua and one from Whakatāne.

“We do have one appliance still at the scene assisting police and ambulance. There was one fatality,” a spokesman earlier said.

A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said it sent an ambulance and rapid response vehicle to the crash, but directed NZME to police for further information.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Changed a generation': Why three Rotorua principals have been celebrated

Rotorua Daily Post

'Visible police presence': Multiple arrests made at Rotorua gang tangi

Rotorua Daily Post

'No coincidences': Michelle Montague's journey to history-making UFC contract


Sponsored

Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Changed a generation': Why three Rotorua principals have been celebrated
Rotorua Daily Post

'Changed a generation': Why three Rotorua principals have been celebrated

Garry de Thierry, Phil Palfrey and Colin Watkins have received life memberships.

01 Aug 06:04 PM
'Visible police presence': Multiple arrests made at Rotorua gang tangi
Rotorua Daily Post

'Visible police presence': Multiple arrests made at Rotorua gang tangi

01 Aug 09:56 AM
'No coincidences': Michelle Montague's journey to history-making UFC contract
Rotorua Daily Post

'No coincidences': Michelle Montague's journey to history-making UFC contract

01 Aug 06:01 AM


Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture
Sponsored

Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture

01 Aug 12:26 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP