The wheels on the bus are turning with excitement for children at BestStart Bayfair now the upgraded Arataki bus hub is open for action.

With more than 40,000 bus passengers a month, Arataki is Tauranga’s second busiest bus hub.

It’s also been the talk of playtime amongst tamariki (children) since construction got under way in August 2024, said Amy Woodman, manager of BestStart Bayfair, which is located across the road from the Arataki bus hub on Farm St.

“The new bus hub facilities are a huge benefit to our centre as we often take the children on excursions to Mauao, the library and out into the community. It’s so handy for it to be located right on our front doorstep.”

Throughout construction of the bus hub upgrade, project contractor Downer and Tauranga City Council provided some special opportunities for children to get involved.

“The team parked up one of their small diggers in our carpark for an afternoon, so the children had the chance to climb into the driver’s seat, wear a hard hat and high vis, and hang out with the construction crew,” said Woodman.

As part of a special planting day, tamariki also got to muck in with the landscaping, helping the construction crew with digging, planting, and mulching, before celebrating their hard work with ice blocks.

“We’ve got lots of budding gardeners in the BestStart team,” said Downer stakeholder and communications manager Rebekah Mason.

“For active play, Downer donated high-vis vests and hard hats. We also provided some of our old office gear like keyboards and cellphones so the kids can play being project managers and site managers.

“It was especially fun bringing BestStart along the journey with us while we redeveloped the bus hub. The new facilities will make travelling by bus more user-friendly and improve safety during transit.”

Following the community’s calls for better shelters and a safer environment, Tauranga City Council committed to giving the bus hub a much-needed upgrade. Improvements include new high-capacity shelters featuring mahi toi (artwork) elements from local hapū, improved streetlights, new CCTV monitoring and bicycle parking.

Enhanced pedestrian crossings and a new shared user path provide safer access to and from the bus hub and Bayfair for cyclists, pedestrians, wheelchair users, skaters and scooter riders.

Aside from being handy for the BestStart community, Woodman recognised the benefits of the newly upgraded bus hub for the wider public.

“It’s a lot safer for the public now as there is better lighting. Previously, it was quite a dark area, but the new shelters and lighting have really helped brighten the whole street up.”

Mahi toi on the bus shelters share the cultural narratives of the area and reflect the kaitiaki (guardians) or spirt animals and their connection with tūpuna (ancestors) and kotahitanga (unity).

Local artist Stu McDonald (Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngati Rehua, Ngāti Tapu) in conjunction with rangatahi/students from the Ahipoutu Collective, has woven various elements including kera wēra (killer whale), kōtare (kingfisher), tui, tuna (eel), and matuku moana (white-faced heron).

The bus hub upgrade complements other projects in Arataki such as the new signalised crossing on Girven Rd near Marlin St, intersection improvements and new raised pedestrian crossings at Oceanbeach Rd, Maranui St, and Girven Rd, and interim safety improvements on Links Ave.