Stress-free journey home for most

Easter holidaymakers returning home enjoyed a largely stress-free drive - except in Christchurch.

Traffic was heavy on Canterbury roads, and police received many complaints from travellers upset by "stupid things" done by other drivers, including passing on yellow lines and blind corners.

A crash on State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa involving a motorbike and a car sent five people to hospital and delayed traffic for a short time.

One person was seriously injured, and flown by helicopter to Christchurch Hospital.

The other four were taken to hospital by ambulance.

Police communication centres throughout the rest of the country reported traffic flowing smoothly.

Several minor crashes were cleared quickly, causing little disruption.

New Zealand Transport Agency state highway manager Tommy Parker said people taking advantage of warm weather and school holidays had made Easter Monday traffic lighter than usual.

Closer monitoring of traffic light phasing at Warkworth and an additional manual payment kiosk at the Northern Gateway Toll Road had also assisted with the flow of traffic.

Easter Monday was traditionally one of the busiest days of the year on the state highway network in Auckland and Northland.

A crash between a bus and two cars on the northbound lane near Papakura in Auckland slowed traffic for a short time, but police cleared the road and cars were able to pass. No one was seriously hurt.

In Wellington, drivers reported a three-car crash north of the Otaki roundabout, and another between a motorbike and a car at Sanson. But a police spokesman said traffic into the capital was generally flowing freely and people were not being delayed.

The holiday Easter road toll stood at five last night.

The five were killed in four crashes in the North Island during the first 24 hours of the holiday period.

A 39-year-old man died after losing control of his motorcycle about midday on Friday at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Bosher Rd at Wellsford, 115km north of Auckland.

His wife who was a pillion passenger had a broken arm after the crash into a speed barrier, Sergeant Paul Walker of Wellsford police said.

A 48-year-old woman from Morrinsville died after the car she was driving hit a bridge at the intersection of State Highway 26 and Oak St in Morrinsville, 32km northeast of Hamilton, shortly after 9am on Friday.

Early on Friday morning, a teenager died after he was thrown from his car on Whangarei Heads Rd, near Whangarei, about 1.30am.

The man, who was the only person in the car, was not found until 7.30am, when he was spotted by a passing motorist, police said.

The first victims of the Easter period were two men in their early 20s who died in hospital after a crash on Springs Rd in the South Auckland suburb of Otara, about 10.30pm on Thursday.

Both the dead men were passengers in a car which was hit from behind by another vehicle after backing out of a driveway, police said.

The Easter weekend road toll period began at 4pm on Thursday and ended at 6am this morning.

Last year, nine people died over the long weekend.

In 2007, the toll was six.