Heading away this Waitangi weekend? Here's what the traffic's looking like

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 still looking 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.

On Sunday traffic will be busy from 10.15am to 7pm, but will be heaviest from 10.45am to 5.30pm.

Traffic along the route on Monday will be heaviest from 10.45am to 5.30pm.

Auckland traffic this weekend.

Between Manukau and Bombay along State Highway 1, Northbound travellers should avoid hitting the road between 1pm and 5pm.

From 9.45am and 5.30pm on Saturday the Highway is busy, and likewise from 1.15pm and 7.15pm on Sunday - peaking from 5pm to 5.30pm.

It's looking relatively busy on Monday between 10.15am and 9.15pm, with traffic looking most condensed from 1.30pm until 6.15pm.

Southbound traffic along the route is at its heaviest on Friday between 9.30am and 7pm, but will remain busy until 8.15pm.

Traffic on Saturday will be at its heaviest between 7.15am and 1.30pm, and on Sunday will be heaviest from 10.15am until 11am.

Monday will also be busy from 10am until 12pm.

Wellington Traffic

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.

For those commuting on Saturday it's best to avoid driving on the highway between 1pm and 5pm when traffic will be heaviest.

Sunday is also looking busy around that time and Monday traffic will be at its heaviest from 11am to 5pm.

Over the Rimutaka's along State Highway 2 Northbound between Wellington and Featherston traffic will be heaviest from 10.15am until 8.30pm.

On Saturday, it will be busy from 8.15am until 5pm and will be heaviest between 8.45am and 3.15pm.

If you're hitting the road on Sunday, it's best to avoid the highway between 9.15am and 12.45pm where it will be heaviest.

And on Monday it will be heaviest from 10.30am until 12pm.

For those making the journey South, the route will be busy from 3.15pm to 3.45pm on Friday afternoon and on Saturday from 10.45am to 6pm.

On Sunday it's busy from 10.45am until 6.30pm, with its heaviest time being from 11.15am until 5.45pm.

Monday is looking heaviest from 10.30am until 6.15pm.

Christchurch travellers

Christchurch traffic this weekend.

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.

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