The first cars have been let into the new Eden Park testing centre after a chaotic week at testing stations during Auckland's lockdown.
Cars started forming their own unofficial queue towards the train station, waiting for the gates to open at 8am.
People are waiting for the walk-in service and scores of vehicles are queued up.
Today's preparation includes portaloos posted at several points along the queue.
The testing centre was relocated from Eden Terrace yesterday after being inundated, turning walk-in patrons away within minutes of opening, and drive-through queues stretching more than a kilometre.
Seven new community testing centres were set up around Auckland yesterday after a frantic first day of level 3 lockdown in the city.
Vehicles stretched for kilometres on Thursday and Wednesday and tempers got heated as people rushed to get tested.
A man who waited nearly 12 hours on Wednesday for a Covid test at an Auckland facility described the scene as "chaos" with people trying to jump the queue and being forced to urinate at the side of the road.
Erika, who did not want to give her surname, said her 42-year-old partner drove to the Eden Terrace Community Testing Centre in New North Rd at 9.15am - and waited until 8.45pm.
"It was just an absolute sh*t show. There was no traffic management so people were just pushing in. It was just chaos."
She said her partner had been unwell for three weeks with cold and flu symptoms prior to Auckland moving back to alert level 3 restrictions at midday Wednesday.
"He had been to the doctor three times over the past three weeks with cold and flu-like symptoms. He'd asked for a Covid test. He'd been refused. They said he didn't need one."
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.