The driver of a Chinese tour bus which crashed near Rotorua just over a year ago has been sentenced to four and a half months' home detention

Five people were killed in the crash.

Junwei Zhang, has also been disqualified from driving for 18 months, and ordered to pay 13-thousand dollars reparation to the victims, and their families.

He'd previously pleaded guilty to charges of careless use of a motor vehicle causing death - and eight charges of careless use of a motor vehicle - causing injury.

The bus was carrying 27 people when it rolled on State Highway Five at Ngatira.