The forgotten Highway to Hobbiton

Following the successful completion of validation in November, both S15 and S17 have been busy collecting data on the New Zealand State Highway network.

S15 has done an anticlockwise loop from Wellington to Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Tauranga and Rotorua, before completing surveys in Whanganui before Christmas.  Sam Jenkin and Graham Strang have been S15’s crew.

S17, with Nigel Scott and Paul Mcwhirter  has carried out testing from a Waikato base, completing surveys in Taupo, Matamata (Hobbiton), Otorohanga and the Coromandel. This weekend surveys were completed in Taranaki (main picture) dominated by the dormant volcano Mount Taranaki.

During this time, we’ve surveyed the Forgotten Highway, The Thermal Explorer and Surf Highway.

After a well-earned Christmas break the surveying continued in Auckland – during the New Zealand summer holiday period, to reduce effects of congestion, and Northland, including 90 mile beach on the way to New Zealand’s most northerly point Cape Reinga.

Then we’ll move to the South Island covering the Marlborough vineyards, Southern Alpes on the way to bluff (NZ’s most southerly point)