The Metro story

Our region, connected by our network

View The Metro story playlist on YouTube

Ōtautahi/Christchurch sits on a mosaic of historic wetlands and waterways formed by a powerful connection between the mountains and the sea.

Across this land lay a network of trails, streams and rivers that connected settlements and provided access to areas of vast natural resource, full of native birds, fish and plants that sustained the people who lived there.

These resources were shared amongst the hapū/sub-tribes of the region through kaihaukai, a system that wove together trade, kinship and mahinga kai/food resources.

People would travel the region to exchange ngā kai/food that was the best each had to offer and represented the wealth, health and uniqueness of their area.

Ka noho a Ōtautahi ki ngā tini kūkūwai me ngā arawai, nā te hononga o ngā maunga ki te moana i hanga.

I ngā wā o mua i tūhonoa tēnei whenua e ngā ara, e ngā arawai, e ngā awa hoki. I tūhono atu ngā wāhi noho, ki ngā wāhi kai/wāhi mahinga kai - i reira ngā manu, ngā ika me ngā tupu e ora pai ai ngā tāngata whenua.

I tohaina ēnei rauemi ki ngā hapū o te rohe mā te kaihaukai, he tikanga i whakakotahi i te hohoko, te whanaungatanga me te mahinga kai hoki.

I hāereere ngā tāngata huri noa i te rohe ki te whakawhiti i ā rātou tino kai hei tohu i te whai rawa, i te oranga, i te rerekētanga hoki o ō rātou ake wāhi.

Read more about the new look for Metro buses.

Metro - a vital connection

Today, surrounded by our urban environment, Metro is our network that provides a vital connection between people and the Greater Christchurch area.

By weaving into the design and experience the fundamentals of kaihaukai we hope to create a meaningful sense of place and connection that enriches people's understanding of their region.

This is why the Metro bus livery is made up of motifs and iconography inspired by taonga/treasure species, the foods and resources shared by hapū/sub-tribes, and the natural landscape that connected them.

Altogether, it represents our connection to the natural environment and reminds us of our shared responsibility.

I ēnei rā, i te ao hurihuri, ko Metro tērā e tūhono ana i ngā tāngata ki te rohe whānui o Ōtautahi.

Ko te tūmanako, mā te whakatō i ngā āhuatanga o te kaihaukai ki ngā whakaahua me te wheako e rongo kau ai ngā tāngata i te hononga ki tēnei wāhi, hei whakawhānui i ngā mōhiotanga ki tō tātou rohe.

Koirā te take ka hua mai ngā whakaahua Metro i ngā āhua me ngā tohu nō ngā taonga, nō ngā kai, nō ngā rauemi i tohaina ai e ngā hapū o konei, me te taiao i tūhono ai i a rātou.

Arā, he tohu o te hononga ki te taiao hei whakamaumahara i a tātou - mā tātou katoa e tiaki.

Read more about our connected region.