AA spokesman Barney Irvine reveals the best ways to survive holiday traffic hotspots. Video / NZ Herald
The transport agency has released when the best time for Kiwis to hit the road this Waitangi weekend is.
Auckland
Northbound traffic on State Highway 1 from Auckland will be busiest from today noon to 8pm, but things will start heating up on the road from 9.30am.
Things are stilllooking tight on the roads on Saturday, with traffic at its heaviest from 8.30am to 3.15pm - and on Monday things will be back to normal.
Southbound traffic also on the Puhoi and Wellsford route will be heaviest on Friday between 10am and 2.45am on Friday, and busy between 9am and 1.30pm on Saturday.
Those leaving the Capital today along the Kāpiti Coast between Peka Peka and Ōtaki should pack extra snacks for the car as the highway will be busy between 8am and 8pm, and will be heaviest from 11am to 6pm.
On the Saturday, the Northbound route will be chocka between 8am and 5pm, but drivers wanting to avoid peak flow should be on the road outside of the hours of 9am and 1pm.
Sunday will also be busy, with the heaviest time looking like 10am until 1pm, with Monday also busy in those hours.
Wellington Traffic this weekend.
Southbound traffic along that stretch of State Highway 1 will be busy between 10am and 7pm on Friday, and will be heavy from 3pm to 6pm.
If you're leaving the Garden City over the long weekend State Highway 1 Northbound from Ashburton you're best to hit the road outside the hours of 2.15pm and 6.30pm where it will be busiest.
It's looking busy between 9.15am until 6.15pm on Saturday, and on Sunday it will be busy from 10.30am - 6.30pm.
On Monday it's busy between the hours of 9.45am and 7pm and will be heaviest from 10.30 AM to 6.15pm.
Those heading South along the route should steer clear of the road between 9.15am and 6.45pm on Friday when it is busiest.
Saturday commuters should try get an early start if they're hoping to avoid the traffic which gets busy from 8.15am until 2pm.
For those wanting to head off on Sunday, it'll be busy from 9.15am to 5.30pm and heaviest from 10.45am to 11.15am.
It's also busy between 10.15am and 5pm on Monday, and heaviest from 11am and 2.15pm.
For travellers going from Christchurch and Kaikōura, it'll be busy from 8.30am and 9.30pm and it will be heavy for the majority of that time.
On Saturday it's busy from 8.45am until 3.30pm, and will be heaviest from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
Sunday and Monday will be busy from around 9am, with Sunday remaining busy until 4.30pm, and Monday until 3.45pm.