Welllington at rush hour

Are you driving your own car?
Heading north or towards the city suburbs?

If you're heading north, the ferry teminal is right at the entry onto the northern motorway. It *might* be a little packed, but (from memory, haven't lived there in almost 10 years), it's usually pretty steady moving. As long as you can get on *by* 5 you should be sweet
Otherwise, it's always worth chancing it, anyway. By the time you've found somewhere to park, then eaten, you could have gotten to your destination (or at least, out of the thickest part of the traffic) by then.

Oh nice
Which way are you driving? SH1? Or towards the Hutt valley?
Which ever way you go, it's about a 20 minute drive (without traffic) before anywhere decent for food, once you hit the mortorway. So if the traffic is looking heavy (you'll be able to see it from the ferry) you could always whip into the city for food, then get a clear run up


Edited by MamaPickle

Which way are you going SH1 or via the Wairarapa.
By the time you disembark from the Ferry it will be getting on to 5.00pm anyways, if you have an early tea and head off closer to 6 - 6.30 the traffic will be gone.

eeekk. Wairarapa? SH1? I have no idea. We want go the way where you dont go through palmerston nrth...that's all I know.
What would you guys suggest? I was just hoping to go north and follow signs...

Hmmm, I think you should just go. The ferry terminal is right at the entrance to the motorway - if you stick around for tea you have to find somewhere to park at that time of night AND somewhere to eat. We arrived on the same ferry a few weeks back and drove straight to the Hutt - the traffic wasn't too bad at all Definitely not worth waiting an hour or more for.

FWIW the last time we drove to Hawkes Bay we went via Masterton as well.

I would just go.  Unless there's an accident the traffic moves pretty steady and as summerlamb said once you're past petone (assuming you go via wairarapa) it'll lighten up.

In fact if you want dinner in Wellington I'd probably head towards petone anyway, there are heaps of places to eat on Jackson Street and it's only a slight detour.

The ferry terminal is literally right below the motorway and the on ramp is a stones throw away from where you'll disembark.  Just make sure you get into the middle of far right lane if you're going via wairarapa.

Go SH1 - it'll save you at least half an hour's drive, probably more since I hear rush hour traffic is better through SH1 than through the Hutt.

But you need to cut out Palmy and go via Shannon - check out a road map but the detour is very well sign posted.

I drove to Wellington from Napier every fortnight for about six months (when DH and I were living in different cities) and due to flooding the gorge was closed for a period so I had to go via the Wairarapa, and it took much longer - all those small towns to slow down through...

Have fun - I'm in Napier now and it's been lovely and sunny all week, it's going to be a shock to go back to Wellington tomorrow