I wish to bring attention to the situation at the carpark for the Whakamarama shops. The exit onto SH2 is covered by not one but two 'No Entry” signs.
This means you cannot directly pull off the Highway into the carpark.
The reason for this is traffic entering through this 'No Entry” can encounter vehicles moving within the carpark and get stranded in the northbound lane leaving them open to collision with northbound
traffic.
This can and has happened.
Secondly, it increases the danger within the carpark itself because traffic pulling into the carpark is often going at such a speed it increases the likelihood of a collision within the carpark itself.
This was proven to me by an elder gentleman (yeah right) wearing a white hat, driving a white Toyota Hi-lux with a black and white Cavalier King Charles spaniel in his passenger seat last Sunday who did exactly that.
He entered the carpark doing around 60kph coming to a halt as I was leaving nearly taking me out. I brought his attention to the signs and he uttered an apology before walking off muttering under his breath.
The correct way to enter the carpark is to pull off SH2 into Barrett road or to use the entrance further up SH2 by the Gull gas
station. This provides better vision and greater safety.
I always thought that to get a driver's license in this country one has to be able to read and understand the Road Code. This sadly was not the case with this gentleman concerned.
Perhaps this should also be the case with young people on jet-skis down by the Wairoa river boat ramp. The law of the sea states 5 knots within 200 metres of the shore.
The amount of young guys that don't read the sign or claim ignorance is astounding. It's only a matter of time before a kayaker or rower gets taken out. I think a confiscation period of their craft like the boy-racers would be the way to go! Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

Kevin Balfour, Whakamarama.