Ask Phoebe: It's our beach ... but what do we call it?

East coast sand may be part of Castor Bay

Q: We live in Aberdeen Rd on the North Shore. At the end of our road is a beach between Red Bluff and Rahopara Point that is about 1.5km long. Why is it not named on maps? Roger Russell, North Shore.

A: Beats me. I have looked long and hard, and it seems that this stretch of coastline is part of either Castor Bay or Campbells Bay. Does anyone have more information?

Q: Can you please tell me who is responsible for policing the traffic entering the Southern Motorway heading north at Takanini? Around 7am I see lots of cars and trucks using the bus lane.

Also are there plans to upgrade the onramp with the increasing amount of traffic? Peter Stanford, South Auckland.

A: The police look after on-ramps and off-ramps as part of the regular motorway patrol. Clearly patrols cannot be everywhere at once, and those who cheat at motorway ramps take advantage of this.

Upgrading the Takanini interchange to a standard motorway diamond, part of proposed improvements to the Southern Motorway, is complicated and final designs have not been done.

Funding to widen the motorway from Manukau to Papakura will be brought forward and the Government says work will take precedence over other key transport fixes for Auckland - the City Rail Link and a second Waitemata Harbour crossing.

The Transport Agency had planned to widen the motorway in four stages over 10 years, starting with the stretch from Hill Rd to Takanini, but now will do it faster. The interchange is last on the list to be upgraded, apart from the northbound on-ramp, a serious pinch point in the mornings because it is hard for vehicles to merge safely.