Put safety before sight-seeing

After a quiet night at Tongariro Police are urging motorists to take extra care if they travel to the area today to view the volcanic activity.

There were some road closures after the eruption but these were lifted fairly quickly and Police were pleased that the road network remained congestion-free for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Area Commander Inspector Steve Bullock said: "We are expecting a beautiful sunny day today and we expect many people will want to take advantage of the clear conditions to visit. That is completely understandable and whilst we don't discourage people from now travelling to the area we are asking them to put road safety and their own safety before sight-seeing."

The main message is not to try and view the activity while you are driving; pull off the road. Also make use where possible of official car parks or areas well off the road to keep the roads clear from congestion and hazards.

While traffic flow is not normally heavy in the area it is fast-moving. People should be mindful that more traffic is expected in the coming days and take particular care when getting out of vehicles parked close to the road and when crossing the road.

Whilst the Apline crossing remains closed other walking tracks are open. Travellers to the area can get more information about what is accessible via the Ruapehu Area Department of Conservation Office.

Information and updates will also be posted on the Department of Conservation website - www.doc.govt.nz