KEY POINTS:
Holiday-makers faced a long crawl back home yesterday, despite many apparently trying to steal a march and setting off early. The problem was that many others had the same idea.
Motorists heading back to Auckland from the north and the south hit queues in the early and mid-afternoon after getting a reasonably early start at the end of the long weekend.
By 2pm traffic was backed up 7km from the one-lane Kopu bridge on the Thames township side. Cars were at a standstill from State Highway 2 at Mangatawhiri to State Highway 25 northbound, and police were urging drivers to be patient.
Inspector Gary Hill said delays were at their worst on the road from Coromandel about 4pm but had improved by 8pm.
Paul Foster, a property investor from the North Shore, travelled back with his girlfriend, Debbie Delgado, from their bach in Whiritoa. The journey took more than an hour and half longer than on the way down to Coromandel.
"It was pretty horrendous," Mr Foster said. "We stopped to use the toilets in Waikino and there was a queue of about 20 people."
He said there were minor roadworks at one point, which added to the frustration. "They really shouldn't be doing anything that can disrupt traffic over the holiday weekend."
Those who had been up north for the long weekend also faced tailbacks. Mr Hill said traffic became congested about 5-10km north of Orewa. By 8pm it was "free-flowing but very slowly". It wasn't the worst holiday traffic ever, he added.
