Highways are clogging up north of Wellington as motorists head off for the city's anniversary weekend.

State Highway 16 is expected to be closed for some time and police are requesting that motorists consider delaying their travel.

Ten people have been injured after a collision involving three cars and a truck near Taupo.

Holidaymakers heading back to the grind in the Super City have one thing to smile about tonight, for most, it's a clear run home on the roads.

An arterial route linking motorists to the East Coast of the North Island has been closed, reportedly causing traffic chaos.

The Christmas holiday road toll has risen to 11 after a man seriously injured in a crash near Rotorua yesterday died.

Congestion continues as people make their way out of Auckland ahead of New Year's Eve.

Traffic has been crawling on the Auckland Motorway - spurred by a combination of minor crashes and holidaymakers heading in and out of the city.

Holidaymakers are queuing on routes out of Auckland today as the busy season on the roads continues.

People leaving Auckland for Christmas face the usual commuter delays this afternoon, while those heading out of Wellington should allow extra time.

A snapshot of highway routes around the country where traffic congestion may be heavy over the festive season.

A woman died after her car and a truck collided near Feilding.

Traffic mayhem ensued when the pod of about six or seven orcas were spotted between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki, north of Wellington this afternoon.

The ever increasing scourge in Auckland traffic is queue jumping - those who come from the back down to the front and expect to be let in.

Auckland commuters travelling in along the Northern and Western motorways may need to allow more time as traffic slows to a crawl.

Scaffolders used road cones to block off a lane of a busy Auckland arterial route at the height of this morning's commuter rush.

Significant lane restrictions would also have an impact on drivers using the Te Atatu interchange

A multi-car prang on Auckland southern motorway is causing long delays for weekend commuters.

Sunshine awaits most of New Zealand tomorrow, while Auckland battles with traffic today.

The crash on the Southern Motorway between the Ellerslie-Penrose and Mount Wellington interchanges has been cleared and all lanes are now open.

If you thought the traffic was bad in New Zealand then spare a thought for the poor motorists who were left stranded in this 50-lane traffic jam.

A crash involving four or five cars has blocked multiple lanes on a motorway in Auckland this evening.

A tanker carrying 30,000 litres of carbon dioxide has crashed on State Highway 1 in Northland.

Two trucks have collided near Matamata and police are warning of delays in the area.

Drivers have been warned to avoid State Highway One near Lake Karapiro as emergency services keep battling to clean up a chemical spill.

One person was trapped in a car after the vehicle rolled on State Highway 1 in Auckland this morning.

A man has described how a group of truckies helped smash a window, freeing a trapped truck driver from a cab in a fast-moving creek.

A few showers are expected to remain in the Gisborne area today, as residents begin to clean up the damage caused by yesterday's floods.

A truck driver who escaped after crashing into a cold, fast-flowing creek is "a lucky boy", firefighters say.

Rising rivers have caused State Highway 2 to be closed overnight between Napier and Wairoa.