After four years in Auckland, during which time I discovered the delights of kayaking the Hauraki Gulf and learned an awful lot about townhouses, JOALs*, and VARsǂ, it was time to relocate back to Wellington where Abley is starting a new office. This conveniently allowed me to move with the company and help to build the team in Wellington.
Fully laden and ready to roll
Moving house is no easy feat, and moving cities makes it twice as difficult. I’d already had the bulk of furniture and possessions moved by truck, but that left the two biggest items in my possession (two five metre kayaks) to be transported myself, since they were too long for the removals truck. So in addition to my four bikes and various household items to be transported by car (including two large plants), the kayaks would have to go by car.
I recruited my colleague Chris to help load the kayaks (a two person job). Safe to say he was amused by my jigsaw-like packing of the car which, when added to the kayaks and bikes, tested the suspension of the car.
The trip
Once underway, though, everything went smoothly. I was blessed with perfect weather without a breath of wind to test out five new sections of highway which have been installed in the ten years since I first made the Auckland – Wellington trip: the Huntly Bypass, Taupo Bypass, Whirokino Trestle, Mackays to Peka Peka, and Transmission Gully. I was privileged to have worked on the Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway in my prior job at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, and I also had oblique involvement in the Whirokino Trestle and Transmission Gully (Te Ara Nui o Te Rangihaeata). A further project I worked on, which is now well underway, is the Peka Peka to Otaki Expressway. It is immensely satisfying to see projects you’ve worked on being built.
These new sections of road feel safe, smooth and easy to drive on. Collectively they will have shaved at least half an hour off the Auckland – Wellington trip, but more importantly, they have eliminated countless roadside hazards. I felt myself relax driving onto the Huntly Bypass, confident that there were no side roads or roundabouts to contend with and that the wide shoulders give a safety buffer. On the flip side, many of these sections of road are indistinguishable from one another, dual carriageways through valleys without landmarks. Those risky, narrow sections of highway which have now been bypassed, like Centennial Highway north of Wellington, or the road through Huntly with its striking views of the power station, were also some of the most visually interesting in the journey. In the process of straightening out New Zealand, we have lost some focal points.
As it was a still day, my worries of kayaks flying off the car were unwarranted, but fatigue was a real concern. I stopped several times through the journey simply to make sure I stayed alert. As ever, the stark beauty of the Desert Road through the high volcanic plateau was a highlight.
While road improvement projects undoubtedly save lives day to day, for the long-distance driver, it’s important to stay alert and take breaks, even more so when there are fewer reference points. Some of the challenging coastal scenery has gone from SH1, but there are are still plenty of places to pull off the road as I did and check out some stunning scenery.
A final observation – wind resistance makes a huge difference to fuel consumption. I have made this trip several times in the same car, and would normally expect to complete it on a tank of fuel. This time, however, I only made it to Bulls, some 150km short of Wellington, before needing to refuel. All the more reason to get those kayaks off the roof and into the water again.
Wellington friends and colleagues, I look forward to bumping into you on the street, or perhaps, out in the harbour.
*Jointly Owned Access Lots
ǂVehicle Access Restrictions
Jo Draper
Associate Transportation Planner, Land Development