Paekakariki Hill Road

**Tigger** · 5th August 2005, 11:34

Just got an email from my colleague at work here about changes to the speed limits on the Paekak Hill Road which is just down the road from us:

"I’ve just sat for 15 minutes as a tow truck dragged a car out of a ditch, effectively blocking the road.

There were a number of policemen on hand and I discussed the situation with one of them (this was the third car – all Honda Integras - to be recovered from about that spot in the last 6 weeks).

The speed limit on the northern side of the hill (the sea side) to the Battle Hill farm gates will become 70, and from Battle Hill to Gray’s Rd will be 80. These changes will come into force this month, and will apparently be heavily policed."

Hopefully these will be well advertised before we find out about it the hard way....

**riffer** · 5th August 2005, 12:21

Damn. Paekak won't be the same if you have to stay in first gear all the way

**Paul in NZ** · 5th August 2005, 12:45

From memory it might even be lower in some parts...

Oh well.... It's the price we pay for dumb bunnies diving into ditches.

**mikey** · 5th August 2005, 12:53

not those boyyyyyyyyyyy racers again.

might as well go have a look atthe damage then.

**madboy** · 5th August 2005, 13:09

It makes sense that you should reduce the speed limits to 70 or 80 on sections of road where your average plonker wasn't exceeding that speed in the first place.

I'm no Paekak legend, unlike some here, but the three instances where I've had "oh shit" moments on that road are:

1) braking from 160+ at the end of the big straight on the Greys Rd end
2) & 3) accelerating out of tight corners at the Greys Rd end and lighting it up on the wet smooth surface created by tar that melts through the road surface. Speed prob less than 70.

Lowering the speed limit would mean that number 1 would be just as illegal and still result in loss of licence if caught. 2 & 3 were under even the proposed new speed limit and since it's taken LTNZ a lifetime to finally realise that even the speed limit can be dangerous, I reckon it'll take another lifetime for it to sink into the skulls of the average punter.

My take on this whole exercise is that there will be a few more taxes paid, and a few more bikes/cars doing runners starting from Paekak Hill Rd.

Now tell me how I'm wrong?

**mikey** · 5th August 2005, 13:15

your wrong.

**Beemer** · 5th August 2005, 14:16

I'm pretty slow over the hill myself, but my husband ain't gonna be pleased to hear this piece of news!

**Paul in NZ** · 5th August 2005, 14:30

Originally Posted by Beemer

I'm pretty slow over the hill myself, but my husband ain't gonna be pleased to hear this piece of news!

Over a year ago I got stopped at 2:30 in the pm for a breath test (stopping everyone) and the cop told me they average 35 accidents a month.

No way were they letting that continue!

Victims of our own ineptitude?

**White trash** · 5th August 2005, 15:56

Take THAT Wellington suckers!

**Dafe** · 5th August 2005, 16:17

Can't beat the takas! Besides, Paekak hills always too damp through winter.
I rode through there last weekend, I was heading north. Came out to where the cliff edge is and went into the first lefthander and slid straight into the opposite lane. Gravel all over the road!!!! The sunstrike didn't help either.
Luckily the oncoming car was far away enough, I just regathered grip in time to haul arse back into my lane. I hate gravel on roads!!!

**Beemer** · 5th August 2005, 16:18

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

Over a year ago I got stopped at 2:30 in the pm for a breath test (stopping everyone) and the cop told me they average 35 accidents a month.

No way were they letting that continue!

Victims of our own ineptitude?

Was that on the hill? If so, I wonder how many of them were cars. The thing is, I like that road even in the car and often head over that way if there is too much traffic on SH1. Yes, it is narrow and windy, but people should use their common sense - you can't legislate for stupidity!

Perhaps they could put a sign at each end "not suitable for morons or Sunday drivers"!

**SPman** · 5th August 2005, 16:51

Been there once, a coupla weeks ago - dead dry - loverlly! but, with views like that at the Paekak end, no wonder people fall off the road!

**Timber020** · 5th August 2005, 20:51

We were doing work on the battlehill road a while back, guys working all over the road on both sides.100 to 50 to 30kmph road signs, cones, the whole lot. Every day some arsehole in a corolla blasted through doing over 120kmph, he was the worst but we had dozens doing about 80kmph and above.
I was so so so so so tempted to put a rock through his windscreen, but it would have cost me my job and maybe his life.

Ridden the road a few times, love it, but its to hoon friendly and close to town to remain an open speed piece of road.

Does this mean Im getting old and windy?

**sels1** · 5th August 2005, 21:17

My favourite bit is the north end going up from Paekakariki to the top of the hill. And there is nowhere to park a camera van there!

Will have to watch it the rest of the way though. And it wont be a bad thing if they slow those boy racers down a bit. PaulinNZ and I were nearly taken out there one afternoon by some dipstick cornering so hard his tryes were pealing off the rims - cant understand how he didnt lose it completly, more by good luck than anything.

**Mooch** · 5th August 2005, 21:23

I'm surprised it's taken this long, the Kapati-Mana paper has been reporting that the Porirua City Council having been looking at putting the speed down for the last year. It talked about the boy racers and motorcyclists using it as a race track and the locals were getting sick of it. Ironically anytime they ran an article it was normally because some 4X4 had run wide and hit a car or bike and causing injury. I guess the inlet at the bottom will happen next.

Mind you, magazine articles with people pulling wheelies and knee down shots on this road may also have helped ....Anyone around here we know ?

Still, at least any further decreases in speed limits are more likely to happen in Auckland now.