KEY POINTS:
Motorists suffered frustrating waits yesterday as holiday traffic came to a standstill in parts of the country.
Auckland holidaymakers heading north waited in queues on State Highway 1 for more than an hour.
Police issued a warning for motorists to expect delays in the Silverdale, Orewa and Puhoi areas and suggested travellers take State Highway 16 as an alternative route.
Jake Harvey of the Transit New Zealand call centre said he received numerous calls about the congestion on State Highway 1.
"We had people ringing us up complaining that they were travelling at 1 km/h. There were so many cars it wasn't funny.
"People wanted to know if there was an accident or something up ahead but there were just so many holiday travellers that cars were stopping in their tracks. It was no one's fault."
Mr Harvey said roadworks that closed two northbound lanes on the Auckland Harbour Bridge might also have caused long waits but the centre had not received any calls about it.
Inspector Turepu Keenan of the police northern communications centre said the region had been busy everywhere.
Police had attended "a few crashes" during the day but they didn't happen in congested areas, he said. "If anything, the congestion has slowed everything down and prevented crashes."
However, a man was in Tauranga Hospital last night with serious head injuries after his car crashed into a power pole on Takitimu Drive in the central city about 3.30pm yesterday.
The road was closed for a short time.
Meanwhile, further south on the Kapiti Coast, police warned motorists travelling north between Waikanae and Otaki on State Highway 1 to expect delays "due to a higher than normal volume of holidaymakers heading north".
The holiday road toll stood at two last night following a fatal smash in Halcombe in the Manawatu.
A motorcyclist crashed into a lamp-post late on Wednesday night.
Emergency services were called at 10.27pm after the rider lost control of a Moto Guzzi 1100 while overtaking on a passing lane on Kakariki Rd.
The road, near State Highway 1, was closed for two hours.
And Edward Malcolm Paul, 35, of Mangere died at 4.30am on Christmas Day when his car rolled after he apparently lost control on a bend on State Highway 2 in Waikato.
The holiday road toll period began at 4pm on Christmas Eve and finishes at 6am on January 3.
