Northern Gateway - motorbikes to pay $2 like a car

**MacD** · 25th January 2009, 15:04

Originally Posted by pyrocam

Awesome day for it. yeah there was a queue. but since when has that stopped a motorcycle?!?, longest carpark in New Zealand I reckon

Passed through there about 11am. The queue heading north started at Silverdale, and was still going when we turned off at Puhoi. The tunnel heading north is only single lane at present, so the two lanes merge just before entering it. Then just beyond the tunnel, the old SH1 merges in as well. Result, a cheap carpark by Auckland standards!

Longest lanespilt I've done in a while!

**RDJ** · 25th January 2009, 15:15

Originally Posted by discotex

Auckland generates more than 33% of GDP and manufacturing accounts for far more GDP than any other sector in almost all regions.

Ah - one point. What is invoiced in Auckland is what is measured in the GDP. What is manufactured and produced outside of Auckland and sent to Auckland is not so measured. Just sayin'...

Personally I avoid Auckland when I can, not because of the people (just as mixed / good / not good as any other bunch of people) but because of the logisctics of moving around.

**Bren** · 25th January 2009, 17:17

Originally Posted by discotex

Chip, shoulder, much?

The facts speak for themselves.

Auckland generates more than 33% of GDP and manufacturing accounts for far more GDP than any other sector in almost all regions.

Would you like me to call the whaaambulance?

Thats funny that....Auckland generating more than 33% of the GDP

Total population

1,303,068 people usually live in Auckland Region. This is an increase of 144,177 people, or 12.4 percent, since the 2001 Census.
Its population ranks 1st in size out of the 16 regions in New Zealand.

As you can see the population in Auckland was 1,303,068 in the 2006 census, which is just over a third of the total population in New Zealand (4,027,947), and you were quoting Auckland as producing a third of our GDP...so that means you folk are not subsidising anyone, in fact, if what RDJ stated before holds to be true, it means that the rest of the country is subsidising Auckland to an extent!

So let the Facts speak for themselves!

Another point I need to make is that Manufacturing may be the highest producing industry, but it needs the raw goods to start off with, whether it be wool or timber or whatever. Primary industry is the backbone of our country, it always has been and it always will be! Without our farmers and loggers and such we would be screwed!

Oh, one last point...I was born in Auckland and spent some of my life there....I had the sense to move away when I could!

**SeppoDave** · 25th January 2009, 17:20

Here's what it looked like before the queues!

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=fYpuMoj0Qa0

200kph - Nice going!

**Bren** · 25th January 2009, 17:23

Originally Posted by SeppoDave

Here's what it looked like before the queues!

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=fYpuMoj0Qa0

200kph - Nice going!

Okay, whats with the Bride at the end of that vid?

**SeppoDave** · 25th January 2009, 17:42

Just bad editing. Recorded over some video of a model shoot. My wife works for a bridal mag.

Nice spotting though!

**Bren** · 25th January 2009, 17:56

Originally Posted by SeppoDave

Just bad editing. Recorded over some video of a model shoot. My wife works for a bridal mag.

Nice spotting though!

okay....where is the rest of that bridal shot...be good to see the garters!

**MadDuck** · 25th January 2009, 18:39

Well I hope that today is not an example of how to waste a shit load of money.

The tail was at Warworth and was going no where heading south this arvo unless you are on two wheels.

**Jantar** · 25th January 2009, 18:50

Do I understand right? A two lane highway that merges into a single lane to go through the tunnel. That being the case there was no point in making it any wider than a single lane all the way.

**piston broke** · 25th January 2009, 18:52

Originally Posted by MadDuck

Well I hope that today is not an example of how to waste a shit load of money.

The tail was at Warworth and was going no where heading south this arvo unless you are on two wheels.

wait till tomorrow,it'll probably be somewhere near te hana.

all they have done is move the bottleneck north a little.

good luck folks

**Trumpess** · 25th January 2009, 18:55

Originally Posted by MadDuck

Well I hope that today is not an example of how to waste a shit load of money.

The tail was at Warworth and was going no where heading south this arvo unless you are on two wheels.

You do realise that every Tom, Dick and Harry were out today having a taste of the new road seeing as the toll is free for the next couple of days.
Everybody having a go all at once. Of course it is going to cause traffic delays.

Surley it wont be like that all of the time?

**Swoop** · 25th January 2009, 18:58

Originally Posted by Jantar

Do I understand right? A two lane highway that merges into a single lane to go through the tunnel. That being the case there was no point in making it any wider than a single lane all the way.

No.
Two 3.5m wide traffic lanes.

**Jantar** · 25th January 2009, 19:01

Originally Posted by Swoop

No.
Two 3.5m wide traffic lanes.

That's not so bad then. On TVOne news they showed the two lanes merging to one before entering the tunnel. Is that just temporary?

**Rockbuddy** · 25th January 2009, 19:03

Originally Posted by Jantar

Do I understand right? A two lane highway that merges into a single lane to go through the tunnel. That being the case there was no point in making it any wider than a single lane all the way.

single lane in the northen tunnel doudle lanes in the south tunnel