Bob LeFridge  Mar 1

TVNZ reports a sad death following a motor accident, but their lede contains two major errors. They say:

"A person has died of their injuries a week and a half after a two-vehicle crash on a Dunedin motorway."

The accident actually happened out in the wops in an area called Clarks Junction, which the story confirms. For those unfamiliar with the area, you leave Dunedin, pass through Mosgiel and then Outram until you get to Lee Stream. Then you carry on a bit further towards Middlemarch and you finally arrive at Clarks Junction.

Not only is it 50kms from Dunedin, but SH87 is certainly *not* a motorway. There's never any funding for motorways in the lower South Island.

Local journalists would not make this silly mistake. And TVNZ's Auckland crew were too lazy to check the actual location in Google Maps.

https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/01/person-dies-more-than-a-week-after-dunedin-crash/

#TVNZ #Geography

Person dies more than a week after Dunedin crash

Emergency services were called to the crash on State Highway 87 in Middlemarch on February 18.

1News
Show threadRobynMar 2
@BobLefridge
I suspect it is still in Dunedin City local government area. But a motorway? It does have similarities to the "northern motorway" though. One lane each way, divided by a painted on safety barrier. Intersections. Windy, hilly with the odd narrow bridge. Most people here are happy to call that bit of SH1 a motorway, so maybe we should give SH87 the benefit of the doubt
Show threadBob LeFridge  Mar 2

I agree that calling the Pine Hill exit from Dunedin a motorway is wrong. My Dad, bless his soul, always found that designation amusing.

A two lane road with no central barrier can never be a motorway. It's such sloppy journalism I'm wondering if it was hallucinated by an AI.

@RedRobyn

Show threadRobyn
@BobLefridge
It may once have been officially called that. Fairly sure I've seen police and other such officials do so. When I checked it's designation in frustration I found it's not currently legally a motorway, and I suspect it never was. . [Edit well actually I appear up be wrong about that! The road is a state highway, the land is still designated a motorway. Motorways were obviously the cool thing to aspire to in 1957. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunedin-Waitati_Highway ]It does have an overbridge or 3 though! And no cycling signs at all entrances.
I do know at least one "born and bred" person who ascribes to the circular logic of - But if it's not a motorway, why do people call the other road "the old motorway"? and I just couldn't quite work out what to say.
Dunedin-Waitati Highway - Wikipedia

Mar 2 at 3:06amWeb
Show threadBob LeFridge  Mar 2

I love the Mount Cargill road. It's my preferred route into town because it's a pretty drive and there's rarely any traffic. It's funny to think that such a narrow, winding road with a nasty hairpin corner was once the main entrance to Dunedin.

I've never heard of it being referred to as 'the old motorway'. Perhaps to some minds, any road which is supplanted by a 'new motorway' must somehow be the 'old motorway'?

I struggle with that logic.

@RedRobyn

Show threadRobynMar 2

@BobLefridge
Well actually I appear to be wrong about the motorway status. The road is a state highway, the land is still designated a motorway, as it was when the road was built. Motorways were obviously the cool thing to aspire to in 1957!
Another bit of mismatch between the legal designation of land and the road on the land is the town belt. That Queens drive "road" closure? Legally it's designated a reserve. The council could just close it at will, yet they take a softly softly approach.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunedin-Waitati_Highway ]

Dunedin-Waitati Highway - Wikipedia

Show threadBob LeFridge  Mar 2

Excellent research. So it's a highway sitting on designated motorway land. I wonder if it was originally intended to be a motorway that was scaled back due to cost?

And I still remember the "Motorway Begins" signs at either end of the road which quietly disappeared at some stage.

@RedRobyn