Now I know why people get killed on Centennial Highway along the coast between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay north of Wellington, despite the facts that there is a 70km limit its entire length, that much of it is divided by a wire barrier and that the rest has double yellow lines separating two single carriageways. On my drive up to Taupo today (Saturday 27 October 2007) I was passed twice, first the way north and later on the way south, by cars going in the same direction as I was. The cars had to cross the double yellow lines to do that. I was doing around 70km on each occasion.
The first time I did not get the number. The car sped off. It was about 5.25am and I was going north. The car was smallish and white.
The second time was 8.06pm. I was coming south. I was passed by a car with number plate EAR… (a Holden, I think) on the double yellow lines soon after the 80km zone turned into the 70km zone. I did get the number plate because a vehicle up in front was travelling slowly enough to hold up the car which passed me long enough for me to catch up and check three times by turning my headlights on full. I recited the number plate and the time to myself until I could safely pull of the road at Plimmerton and write it down in my car log. The car was driven by a man and had a front seat passenger.