* Stated plan to cause "major public interruption and disruption" achieved
* Sections of Auckland's Southern Motorway were closed
* Motorcyclists riding on wrong side of the road
* Traffic blocked on Wellington CBD streets by marchers
* Convoy on Auckland motorway vows to do a "slow roll"
* Automobile Association calls for calm on
'Motorway mayhem': Protesters stop traffic on sections of Auckland motorway
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By noon, some in Auckland had managed to do just that. Police put in place a traffic block near the motorway on-ramp at Newton Gully.
With traffic stopped, hundreds of protesters walked up the ramp and onto the motorway; impacting on southbound traffic.
NZTA and police closed the southbounds lanes on the Southern Motorway between the Khyber Pass onramp and Market Rd.
"Please avoid this area or delay your journey."
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Shortly after, protesters managed to get onto the northbound lanes of the Southern Motorway near Market Rd, leading to NZTA and police closing those lanes.
The lanes both ways were reopened before 1pm. But the impact of the closures lead to some long Saturday commutes for some come
Congestion northbound was back to Mt Wellington. While traffic heading southbound is gridlocked back to the lead-up to the Harbour Bridge.
But at 2pm, traffic levels and congestion were back to normal levels.
Simon Douglas, general manager - Motoring Affairs for AA, advised motorists to check Auckland Transport for details of the protests and to try and avoid affected roads if possible.
He urged motorists to show patience.
"It's that time with the end of school holidays where we are all trying to get where we're going, but it is important we take a deep breath and be as patient as possible," Douglas said.
The event featured protests in three cities; Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
In Auckland, people began gathering in the Auckland Domain from about 9am and made no secret of their hope to march on the Southern Motorway.
A convoy of more than 30 motorbikes arrived at the Domain around 9.45am.
Members of it rode on the wrong side of the road once inside the public park - meaning any other traffic going the other way would have to wait for them - before parking up near the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
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There are several hundred people at the Domain; some holding New Zealand flags.
In West Auckland, vehicles also gathered at Parr's Park for a "Slow Roll" drive to the Domain.
An earlier press release from the Tamaki-led coalition, stated "massive" public marches would take place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in response to what the coalition deemed was Government-inflicted damage on the country.
UPDATE 12:30PM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) July 23, 2022
The Southern Mwy is now fully OPEN in both directions. Please expect delays as congestion eases. Thank you for your patience.^EH https://t.co/NRCdeRpN2r
"It is our intention to cause a major public interruption and disruption," it read.
"We will likely cause motorway mayhem in Auckland, and chaos in these major cities as we raise public awareness to the damage this Government is causing across this country."
Smaller crowds gathered in Wellington and Christchurch.
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As the growd gathered, police in Wellington warned of potential traffic issues in the central city before and after the protest march there.
"Organisers have let Police know a march is planned along the Quays between Frank Kitts Park and the Railway Station from 11am," a spokesperson said.
"Police will be present to ensure the safety of all. Motorists should avoid the area, if possible."
Like in Auckland, the small group managed to stop traffic.
Just over 100 people met at the gathering point in Civic Square.
It included motorcyclists revving their engines, while others were blasting 80s pop.
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After leaving the square, they initially blocked Victoria St, with motorists beeping their horns in frustration.
The protest actions led to gridlocked traffic in both directions.
Later they blocked lanes on Wakefield St and Jervois Quay.
At Parliament, shortly after 11am the only sign of potential protest there was a small fence, a couple of police officers and two security guards.
The coalition had organised and supported many protests across the country in the past 18 months, including the 23-day occupation of Parliament grounds earlier this year.
Reasons for the protest cited in the press release included but were not limited to; the high cost of living, understaffing of hospitals, GPs being overworked, education problems, three-waters legislation, a mental health crisis and under-resourced first responders.
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In January, Tamaki was arrested for breaching bail conditions and spent nine days inside Auckland's Mt Eden Corrections Facility.
Prior to that, he had been charged three times over his attendance at Auckland Domain lockdown protests.
The coalition's press release cited New Zealand had been "voted the 2nd worst place to live in" beaten only by Kuwait in the Middle East.
The remark was seemingly a reference to a survey of immigrants who considered New Zealand the second-worst country to move to out of 52 of the world's near-200 countries.
The survey was conducted by expatriate networking organisation InterNations and was informed by responses from nearly 12,000 people of 177 different nationalities, living in 181 countries.
Respondents were reportedly asked how their new homes performed on factors including quality of life, cost of living, safety, financial outlook, bureaucracy, and ease of fitting in.
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New Zealand's 51st place in the survey was mostly due to lower wages and high cost of living.
Mexico was ranked first in the survey, ahead of Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, and Spain.
