With summer arriving in the Western Bay of Plenty, I wonder how many politicians will turn up on our doorstep – to enjoy the sand, sun and surf that we all love and enjoy as local residents?

I wonder if Transport Minister Phil Twyford will take a break – and might fancy catching a wave here in the Western BOP?

Of course, the MP for Te Atatu in Auckland could fly here from Auckland or would he use the highly-popular State Highway 2 – as the most direct route to Mount Main Beach from Auckland's west?

But someone better warn him – that once he's bumbled along the highway from north of Pokeno he'll come to a screeching halt when he gets to Athenree, near Waihi Beach.

This is because every Christmas holiday season – without fail – Katikati's pedestrian crossing with light signals will flash continually and hold up all the southbound traffic – mostly Aucklanders trying to head to the Mount etc – when some poor Katikati resident wants to get cross the road of their township.

The tailback coming into Katikati gets worse every year – last year it made all the way out to Athenree turnoff.

Phil and his team at NZTA reckon there's no need for a bypass around Katikati – despite SH2 increasingly choking the life out its residents and businesses via traffic and truck fumes while also clipping and running over a few residents here and there.

If he was holidaying in Katikati he'd quickly realise you can't go for quick trip to Waihi Beach with the kids – it'll take at two-hour round-trip at the least – that's not even digging your toes into the sand.

So a holiday roadie down SH2 to the Mount could be just the break Mr Twyford needs – to reconsider his transport priorities.

And if he did make it past the traffic jam through Katikati – bumping along the rest of SH2 might get him swerving in a direction – when it comes to transport policy – and the copious amounts of traffic and near-death experiences he'll likely encounter.

But, if I was Phil, I'd holiday in Hamilton, where he's just announced a new five-year passenger rail trial from the Waikato to Auckland. Better still, he could delay his travel til March 2020 – then practise what he preaches.

K Moorland, Katikati.