'''Fly'''
There are five direct daily flights to Whakatane. 4 to and from Auckland and 1 to and from Wellington with a flight time of 45 minutes. Contact [http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz] Rental Cars are avaliable from Whakatane Airport for pick up.
Air New Zealand also offers flights from around New Zealand and fly into Rotorua and Tauranga, an easy 1 hours drive from Whakatane. Rental cars are available from both the Rotorua and Tauranga Airports.
Flying can be an economical way around New Zealand - check [http://www.grabaseat.co.nz] for specials.
'''Drive'''
The only other option is to drive, there are many rental car and campervan hires in New Zealand. Auckland is 3.5-4 hours drive through either Tauranga or Rotorua while Wellington is a 6.5++ hour drive through beautiful scenery. Hamilton is 2.5 hours drive and Gisborne 4 hours drive.
Another scenic drive is The Pacific Coast Highway, "traversing the spectacular east coast of New Zealand's North Island, is one of the great touring routes in the world. The Pacific Coast Highway is well signposted along the entire route, giving a safe and easy way to navigate through some of the most spectacular coastal scenery New Zealand has to offer".
Whakatane is about half way along this scenic highway, which starts in Auckland and finishes in the Hawkes Bay. The scenery is stunning, but you should note, Whakatane is probably the last big town before reaching Gisborne, so ensure you take some food along with you. There are no shopping malls between gisborne and Opotiki! See [http://www.pacificcoast.co.nz] for details.
'''Buses'''
Intercity Coachlines covers all of New Zealand and runs a daily (?) service to Whakatane.
Otherwise there is a regular local bus service operates between Whakatane, Ohope, Kawerau, Opotiki and Tauranga. The Ohope - Whakatane and Ohope - Tauranga line runs Monday to Saturday, while the Whakatane - Opotiki, Whakatane - Kawerau run 2x weekly. The fares are cheap as they have been subsidised by the environmental council. [http://www.baybus.co.nz] for more details.
Nga Tapuwae o Toi Walkways (in the Footsteps of Toi), is a walkway that shows of Whakatane's natural beauties. Many of the local's walk or run these walks as they train for numerous events. The walkway is a loop between Whakatane township to Ohope Beach, one side will take you over and above the coast line and through major reserves. The other side will take you through beautiful bush settings. The total trip can be completed in 5-7 hours and can be demanding at times. Please remember to pack a rain coat and warm clothes, as the weather can change quickly. There are signposts detailing important history of the area. Some of the places are Pa sites, so please be respectful of these.
Renting a Car is the easiest way to get around Whakatane and see all the local sites. Parking is free generally (there is only 1 area you have to pay - and not many locals will take this option) but they do have (strict) time limits.