Logging trucks a reality of region

News broke yesterday that fewer logging trucks will be winding their way over the Rimutaka hill from Wairarapa to the port - good news for commuters.

But not yet good news for Masterton, which will still have logging trucks trundling through town to reach the railhead for the foreseeable future.

Yesterday morning, I stood on Te Ore Ore Rd, waiting to cross the road to Henley Lake, as four fully-laden logging trucks rumbled past.

They are a part of everyday life for people who live on the road; the most direct route for trucks bringing logs from the forestry blocks near the coast.

It also won't bring a great deal of comfort for students and teachers at Tinui School, who last week raised concerns about their vehicles sharing narrow and one-way bridges with logging vehicles.

A heavy vehicle bypass for Masterton would be a welcome improvement to traffic through the centre of town but the reality in a region like Wairarapa is that we will always share many of our roads with logging trucks, tractors, farm vehicles and other heavy traffic.

So we'll need to keep focusing on the best ways to share the road.

Don't forget to look out for the balloons lifting off from Carterton's Carrington Park early tomorrow morning - weather permitting - for the start of the Balloons over Wairarapa Festival.

There's a huge amount of support in the community for the festival and for seeing balloons in our skies again, despite the uncertainty of the past few weeks.

I have my fingers crossed for fine weather so I can take my first ever balloon ride this week.