Ahead of the three-day Labour Weekend, with fine weather forecast, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency reminds travellers of
a useful tool that shows predicted traffic flows at particular times, based on previous years’ travel patterns: journeys.nzta.govt.nz/labour-day
"Holiday weekends are always busy across the South Island and with good weather forecast, congestion and delays even
without overseas visitors may still occur at peak times,” says Waka Kotahi Journey Manager Tresca Forrester.
“Travel may be more spread out across the country this year with holiday makers taking the opportunity to have a longer
break either side of Labour Day weekend and exploring new places.”
Because predicted peak times can change based on incidents (sometimes caused by crashes), weather and driver behaviour,
we suggest that you check www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic-and-travel-information before you leave for accurate information about current road and traffic conditions.
Waka Kotahi crews will shut down most active work sites around the South Island by midday on Friday, 23 October.Takaka Hill, Tasman District, SH60 post cyclone Gita repairs
This winding hill road is managed 24/7 by traffic signals on the Nelson side given the repairs taking place underneath
the road currently. Please be ready to stop at the single lane stretch on your way into Golden Bay and back towards
Riwaka/ Nelson.SH1 through Kaikōura - two lanes mostly everywhere
Several road work projects are ongoing on SH1 either side of Kaikōura as the repairs from the 2016 earthquake wind up.
However, over Labour Weekend, the highway will be two lanes in as many places as it can be, with no night work underway
until the evening of Monday, 26 October. For the latest information, please check: www.nzta.govt.nz/p2cNorth Canterbury/ Bank’s Pensinsula - two unsealed sites which will be managed
SH1 Wilderness Road – just north of Kaikōura
SH75 Hilltop - on the way to AkaroaWhere else can I expect the highways to be busy?
The Transport Agency’s holiday journeys site shows the busiest areas through the South Island including:SH1 through Kaikōura and North Canterbury, south of Christchurch through Ashburton and TimaruSH7 through the Lewis PassSH79 near GeraldineSH73 Arthur’s Pass route between Canterbury and the West CoastSH6, between Nelson and Blenheim, and also through MurchisonSH6 into and out of Queenstown and Wanaka.
Tips:Drive to the conditions, whether it’s the weather, the time of day or amount of traffic.Take regular breaks to stay alert. Share the driving if you can.Keep a safe following distance from vehicles in front so you can stop safely.Be patient - overtaking is unlikely to make a significant difference to your journey time due to the amount of traffic
expected over the weekend.Check your car is safe, warranted, windwipers/lights are working and you have a spare tyre inflated before you head off.MetService extended forecast: https://www.metservice.com/national#extended-forecast