Month: January 2017

Ports of Auckland (PoAL) is again inviting members of the public to venture behind the “red fence” during Auckland Anniversary Weekend and partake in its annual SeePort Festival.
Scheduled on the Sunday and Monday of January 29 and 30, SeePort is being billed as an opportunity to “discover your port from land, sky or the glistening sea”.
“Captain Cook Wharf is transformed into a bustling summer carnival with family-friendly rides, tours and day-long entertainment on and off the water, including the SeePort Sunset Symphony & Fireworks with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra and special guests,” states PoAL.
“Following on from the success of the 2016 festival, which saw over 60,000 people visit Captain Cook Wharf, 2017 is set to be bigger and better than ever with in-air helicopter displays, the chance for a lucky few to experience the port from the heights of a crane and the Royal New Zealand Navy’s inshore patrol vessel, HMNZS Taupo, open days.”
SeePort is a free-entry event, including rides, tours and activities with the exception of the helicopter rides, heritage sailings on the William C Daldy steam tug and the PoAL crane experience.

PoAL senior communications advisor Alexandra Ropati <ropatia@poal.co.nz, +64272885596> should be contacted in regards to arranging access to the later two attractions.
The festival is to commence with an official opening at 10am on the Sunday morning, following the gates opening at 9am.

Good progress is being reported in the rebuild of both the existing State Highway 1 and rail corridor along the coastal route north and south of Kaikoura.
The works, which are being undertaken by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and KiwiRail, received a significant boost with the mid-December Cabinet announcement the Crown would provide the estimated $1.4 billion to $2 billion funding required.
An Order in Council subsequently signed by Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy modified provisions of the Resource Management Act and nine other pieces of legislation, in order to streamline the works.
Including additional improvements to increase safety and resilience, the project is expected to have at least delivered limited coastal route access by the end of 2017.
On Wednesday this week, KiwiRail network services group general manager Todd Moyle announced a significant section of the Main North Line had been reinstated, with the track from Picton to Grassmere repaired and designs for six bridges on the route near completion.
In the most recent development on the roading works, NZTA earthquake recovery manager Steve Mutton also announced on Wednesday that State Highway 1 was to be closed from Hundalee to Kaikoura on January 16-17 to enable sluicing of slips above the road.