Plan ahead to stay safe and avoid delays this Labour Weekend
The NZ Transport Agency has developed a tool that shows predicted traffic flow across popular journeys based on travel patterns from previous years. It can be found here.
Because predicted peak times can change based on incidents, weather and even driver behaviour we suggest that you check here before you leave for accurate information about current road and traffic conditions.
The holiday journeys site shows the busiest areas through Bay of Plenty and Waikato are expected to be the Kaimai Range, State Highway 2 between Paeroa and Waihi and State Highway 2 between Tauranga and Katikati, State Highway 1 north of Hamilton at Taupiri, State Highway 1 south of Cambridge at Karapiro, State Highway 2 at Maramarua and the Coromandel on State Highway 25 at Tairua and Kopu Bridge.
When driving this Labour Weekend, take care to:
- Drive to the conditions, whether it’s the weather, the time of day or amount of traffic
- Take regular breaks to stay alert and ensure fatigue doesn’t affect your driving
- Keep a safe following distance from vehicles in front so you can stop safely
- Be patient - overtaking is unlikely to make a significant difference to your journey time due to the amount of traffic expected over the weekend.
- Allow plenty of time, remember you are on holiday and avoid the need to rush
- Check your car is in good "health" before you head off.
Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.
While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.
And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?
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40.5% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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57.6% No, I enjoy it
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Alan and Hazel Kerr share Senior New Zealander of the Year Award 2026
Dr Alan and Hazel Kerr describe themselves as ‘just ordinary old Kiwis’, despite being named as the 2026 Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealanders of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau.
The amazing couple prompted a standing ovation at a star-studded Auckland event which recognised their tireless efforts, with Alan travelling to and from Gaza and the West Bank 40 times to help children over 20 years, and Hazel travelling 20 times.
Click read more to find out more.
Poll: How important is the ability to book a doctor’s appointment online?
Hi Neighbours
Here at The Doctors we would love to hear how you prefer to book your doctor’s appointments. With busy schedules, different people find different methods easier.
For some, online booking is very convenient, you can make an appointment anytime without needing to wait on the phone. Others still prefer calling the clinic and speaking to a real person, especially if they have specific questions about their visit.
Your feedback helps us understand what works best for our patients and how we can improve access to care.
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40.4% I prefer booking online whenever possible
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23.9% Online booking is helpful but not essential
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32.5% I prefer calling the clinic
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3.3% I didn’t know online booking was available
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