Final few metres of SH1 sealed

**Eddieb** · 22nd April 2010, 17:59

The final stretch of State Highway 1 was sealed today, allowing drivers a tarsealed ride from one end of the country to the other for the first time.

The northernmost tip of the highway, heading to Cape Reinga, remained a gravel road long after the rest of the main artery was sealed.

Asphalt was laid today on the final 100 metres, near the community of Waitiki Landing, 20km southeast of Cape Reinga, completing the sealing of the entire 2022km road..

More: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10640096

**Smifffy** · 22nd April 2010, 18:01

Cool, no more accidents on SH1 from now on then. Job Done.

**Ixion** · 22nd April 2010, 18:13

Bugger. Just bugger.

**Motu** · 22nd April 2010, 18:20

That sucks,I'm never going there again!

**oldrider** · 22nd April 2010, 18:32

I wonder if it's stopped raining plastic bits there, from my first ST1100 (Honda) when I decked it in 1993!

**That looks like fun** · 22nd April 2010, 18:37

So what will happen to all those locals who worked in the industries supported by that piece of road not being sealed? I refer of course to the tour operators who drove buses along the beach, the company who made the plastic sleds that tourists slid down sand dunes on, the shops who the tour bus operators stopped at? The boys who cleaned the buses at the end of the day, the people who made the lunches for the tour operators, the list goes on.
Who will explain to the camper van drivers the spiritual significance of the beach, tell the story of the last journey, explain the red stains on the hill and tell of the single gnarled Pohutokawa's great part in the spirits last journey.
Will the camper van drivers know as they drive past Northlands last standing Kauri stand what they are passing?
As they pass the departure place of the godwits no doubt they will comment on the white sand, sadly no one will be able to tell them its story because there wont be a tour guide in the camper van.
I love riding the back country gravel Rd's in this country. Thats not what saddens me about sealing this piece of road. What have we as a country gained from sealing this road? Progress? No just more Kiwi Tunnel vision,

**cooneyr** · 22nd April 2010, 18:38

Ahem - two coat chip seal on the news - none of that fancy asphalt stuff. I'll get me coat and leave now . . . .

**Crisis management** · 22nd April 2010, 18:57

A day of mourning........I'm off for a consolitary beer!

**Smifffy** · 22nd April 2010, 19:07

NZTA just shelled out an arseload of cash to improve road safety on NZ's Primary Arterial Route, and you're all moaning?

Think of the lives that can be saved, after all of the accidents that have occured on SH 1 over the years.

WTF?

**That looks like fun** · 22nd April 2010, 19:38

Originally Posted by Smifffy

NZTA just shelled out an arseload of cash to improve road safety on NZ's Primary Arterial Route, and you're all moaning?

Think of the lives that can be saved, after all of the accidents that have occured on SH 1 over the years.

WTF?

Some say moaning, others say an alternative point of view. Will improving access to an area increase road safety? Rental company's do not allow clients to drive camper vans on unsealed roads. So who or what has been gained by sealing this road?
As an increased number of vehicles will now use this road many of them in extremely large vehicles (eg: camper vans), driven by people who have little or no knowledge of, driving in a foreign country on a (sealed but still) narrow and windy road.
I guess if we look at things in a purely self driven way (I don't ride a bike suitable to ride into a certain area and am too miserable to pay someone to take me there) then we may see benefits in long straight tar sealed Rd's. To attempt to justify the sealing of this piece of road by saying it will contribute to road safety is like blaming day light saving for fading your carpet.
POORLY THOUGHT OUT

**Smifffy** · 22nd April 2010, 19:44

Originally Posted by That looks like fun

Some say moaning, others say an alternative point of view. Will improving access to an area increase road safety? Rental company's do not allow clients to drive camper vans on unsealed roads. So who or what has been gained by sealing this road?
As an increased number of vehicles will now use this road many of them in extremely large vehicles (eg: camper vans), driven by people who have little or no knowledge of, driving in a foreign country on a (sealed but still) narrow and windy road.
I guess if we look at things in a purely self driven way (I don't ride a bike suitable to ride into a certain area and am too miserable to pay someone to take me there) then we may see benefits in long straight tar sealed Rd's. To attempt to justify the sealing of this piece of road by saying it will contribute to road safety is like blaming day light saving for fading your carpet.
POORLY THOUGHT OUT

*GASP*

You mean you could think of better uses of the money that would also improve the safety of NZ's premiere highway?

Just look at how many accidents there have been on that stretch of road in the last 5 years. Shocking!!

The rest of SH 1 is so perfect in comparison to what that was, I haven't been there since the new seal, but I'm sure this new seal is the very best that money can buy, no doubt the road will be perfectly safe even if one were to travel at 110 Km/h!!

**That looks like fun** · 22nd April 2010, 19:50

Originally Posted by Smifffy

*GASP*

You mean you could think of better uses of the money that would also improve the safety of NZ's premiere highway?

Just look at how many accidents there have been on that stretch of road in the last 5 years. Shocking!!

The rest of SH 1 is so perfect in comparison to what that was, I haven't been there since the new seal, but I'm sure this new seal is the very best that money can buy, no doubt the road will be perfectly safe even if one were to travel at 110 Km/h!!

If you are as serious as you say in wanting to bring the road toll down travel at the legal speed limit.

**Eddieb** · 22nd April 2010, 19:53

Originally Posted by Smifffy

You mean you could think of better uses of the money that would also improve the safety of NZ's premiere highway?

Just look at how many accidents there have been on that stretch of road in the last 5 years. Shocking!!

The rest of SH 1 is so perfect in comparison to what that was, I haven't been there since the new seal, but I'm sure this new seal is the very best that money can buy, no doubt the road will be perfectly safe even if one were to travel at 110 Km/h!!

So do you have any statistics of how many accidents have occured along there in the last 5 years? I did a search and couldn't find any. Everything I found relating to this work stressed the improvement to tourist access over any other reasons.

As to the rest of your post, if you hadn't already made it clear you were serious I would have thought you were using extreme sarcasm.

**Smifffy** · 22nd April 2010, 20:01

Originally Posted by Eddieb

So do you have any statistics of how many accidents have occured along there in the last 5 years? I did a search and couldn't find any. Everything I found relating to this work stressed the improvement to tourist access over any other reasons.

As to the rest of your post, if you hadn't already made it clear you were serious I would have thought you were using extreme sarcasm.

Surely it's far more dangerous, than say - the desert road?

Look at the number of trucks and heavy vehicles that head up to Cape Reinga every single day. The commerce and trade of NZ depends on that piece of road being in pristine condition.

Clearly NZTA is in a much better position decide where funding is most appropriately allocated than a bunch of bikers?