Riki Katene (47), now of Christchurch, was judged the best of 24 drivers in the fourth annual Tranzqual Bus Roadeo at the Edgar Centre over the weekend.
"It all started for me here in Dunedin, really, because I trained as a bus driver when I was a mechanic at New Zealand Railways Road Services here in the '80s," he said yesterday.
Mr Katene, who lived in Dunedin from 1980-87, played senior rugby for Union and worked as a doorman at the former Tai Pei Cabaret, before moving to Queenstown to work at the AJ Hackett bungy operation at Kawarau Bridge.
He returned to Dunedin in 1996, to manage the Lone Star restaurant, before relocating to Christchurch to be near his family and work with Maori youth offenders.
A bus driver for 21 years, he now drives a 50-seater Volvo B12 tour bus for Hawarden Transport, in Kaiapoi.
"My philosophy is love what you do and do what you love.
"If you do that then you won't ever work a day in your life," he said.
"Everyone's got a grumpy bus driver story and everyone's got a good bus driver story and I know what sort of experience I want to give people.
"We've got such a beautiful country and if people want to come here then I'm happy to show them around."
The drivers had to negotiate a technical course and were tested on their customer service, road code knowledge and bus mechanics.
The second overall winner was Otago Explorer driver Malcolm Budd, with Peter Krivan, of Tranzit Coachlines in Wairarapa, third.
Mr Katene said he felt "humbled" by the win and was at a loss to explain why he was such a highly-rated driver.
"It's just a feeling," he said.
"Driving tour buses, for me, is a passion and a lifestyle.
"Once you get in that seat, it's not about you.
"The job is to get people from A to B safely and tell them a little bit about New Zealand along the way."
Bus and Coach Association chief executive Raewyn Bleakley said Mr Katene's professionalism, skill and enthusiasm impressed throughout.
"Riki is the epitome of the ideal coach driver; the kind that we will need going forward into New Zealand's most challenging event - the 2011 Rugby World Cup."
Mr Katene will head to Queenstown tomorrow to pick up a tour bus, before returning to Christchurch tomorrow night.
