New Zealand State Highway 30

State Highway 30
Route information
Maintained by New Zealand Transport Agency
Length:	219 km (136 mi)
Tourist routes:	Thermal Explorer Highway in concurrency with SH 5 Pacific Coast Highway Paroa to Whakatane
Major junctions
Southwest end:	SH 3 at Te Kuiti
	SH 5
Northeast end:	Whakatane
Location
Primary destinations:	Mangakino, Atiamuri, Rotorua, Awakeri
Highway system
New Zealand State Highways Motorways and Expressways • List • Unused ← SH 29 SH 31 →

State Highway 30 is a New Zealand State Highway, linking the Waikato and Bay of Plenty towns of Te Kuiti, Mangakino, Rotorua, and Whakatane.

At 219 kilometres, it is New Zealand's fifth longest provincial (two-digit) state highway, after SH 25, SH 35, SH 73, and SH 94.^[1] With the exception of State Highway 4, it has junctions with every national (one-digit) state highway in the North Island.

State Highway 30 has the most concurrencies of all the state highways. It shares sections with, from west to east, State Highway 32, State Highway 1, State Highway 5, State Highway 34 (albeit briefly), and State Highway 2.

Route

State Highway 30 starts in the southern end of the Waikato town of Te Kuiti at an intersection with State Highway 3. At first, SH 30 follows the North Island Main Trunk railway south-east as far as Benneydale. The highway then leaves the railway and turns east, crossing into Manawatu-Wanganui briefly as it passes through the Pureora Forest Park. The road now turns north-east and heads for the Waikato River.

Near Mangakino, SH 30 turns sharply south-east, and bypasses the town of Mangakino. Here, the highway meets the Waikato River at the top of Lake Maraetai, and follows the river upstream to Whakamaru, where it crosses the Waikato on top of the Whakamaru hydroelectric dam. The road eastwards continues on the opposite bank of the Waikato River to State Highway 1 at the Atiamuri Dam.

Meeting State Highway 1, SH 30 runs concurrently with SH 1 northwards for six kilometres. The highway leaves SH 1 at Upper Atiamuri, and heads north-east, over the border into Bay of Plenty, towards the tourist town of Rotorua.

The highway passes through the south-east of Rotorua, then heads north through the suburb of Te Ngae, and up the eastern side of Lake Rotorua. Turning east, the road skims the southern endge of Lakes Rotoiti, Rotoehu, and Rotoma. The road turns north-east passing north of the mill town of Kawerau, and through Te Teko, across the Rangitaiki River, to Awakeri.

After crossing SH 2 at Awakeri, the highway turns north and heads towards the coast. The road then turns east, and crosses the Whakatane River. The highway ends just across the river at the roundabout with Landing Road.

Route Changes

State Highway 30's only major route change has occurred at the Whakatane end of the highway. The highway originally ended at Paroa, where the highway met State Highway 2. Recently, State Highway 2 has been moved inland, and State Highway 30 was extended along SH 2's former route to Whakatane.

Spur sections

State Highway 30A
Location:	SH 5 west of central Rotorua – SH 30 at Ngapuna
Length:	3.6 km (2.2 mi)

State Highway 30 has one spur route - State Highway 30A in Rotorua.

State Highway 30A starts west of central Rotorua, at the intersection of Old Taupo Road (State Highway 5) and Pukuatua Street. SH 30A follows Pukuatua Street eastwards, before going into an S-bend onto Amohau Street, to avoid central Rotorua. The road continues east to Fenton Street, from where SH 30A turns southwest onto a dual carriageway to connect with Te Ngae Road. The highway turns eastwards again, meeting State Highway 30 at the intersection of Te Ngae Road and Sala Street.

State Highway 30A was created after State Highway 5 was moved from its original route through central Rotorua to Old Taupo Road. SH 30A follows part of the old SH 5 route on Amohau Street, between Randolf Street and Fenton Street.

Major Junctions

Territorial authority	Location	km	Destinations	Notes
Waitomo District	Te Kuiti	0	SH 3 north (Carroll Street) Waitomo Caves, Hamilton	SH 30 begins
			SH 3 south (Awakino Road) New Plymouth
	Kopaki	23	(Kopaki Road)	to SH 4 and Taumarunui
Taupo District	Mangakino		(Waipapa Road) Mangakino, Te Awamutu
	Whakamaru		SH 32 south (Tihoi Road) Taupo, Turangi, National Park	SH 30/SH 32 concurrency begins
			Whakamaru Hydroelectric Dam Waikato River
South Waikato District
			SH 32 north Tokoroa, Hamilton	SH 30/SH 32 concurrency ends
	Atiamuri		SH 1 south Taupo	SH 30/SH 1 concurrency begins
	Upper Atiamuri		SH 1 north Tokoroa, Hamilton	SH 30/SH 1 concurrency ends
Rotorua District	Waipa Village	143	SH 5/Thermal Explorer Highway south Taupo	SH 30/SH 5 concurrency begins
	Whakarewarewa	144	SH 5/Thermal Explorer Highway north (Old Taupo Road) Hamilton	SH 30/SH 5 concurrency ends
		145	(Fenton Street) City Centre
	Fenton Park	147	SH 30A (Te Ngae Road) City Centre, Hamilton
	Te Ngae	157	SH 33 Tauranga
Whakatane District	Onepu		SH 34 Kawerau
			SH 34 north Tauranga	SH 30/SH 34 concurrency begins
			SH 34 south Kawerau	SH 30/SH 34 concurrency ends
	Te Teko		(Galatea Road) Galatea, Murupara
	Awakeri		SH 2 north Tauranga	SH 30/SH 2 concurrency begins
			SH 2 south Opotiki, Gisborne	SH 30/SH 2 concurrency ends
	Paroa		Pacific Coast Highway north Whakatane Airport, Tauranga
	Whakatane	219	Pacific Coast Highway north (Landing Road) Whakatane Town Centre	SH 30 ends

SH 30A

Territorial authority	Location	km	Destinations	Notes
Rotorua District	Rotorua	0	SH 5/Thermal Explorer Highway north Hamilton	SH 30A begins
			SH 5/Thermal Explorer Highway south Taupo
			(Pukuatua Street) City Centre
			(Fenton Street) north City Centre
			(Fenton Street) south Taupo
	Fenton Park	4	SH 30 east Taupo, Te Kuiti	SH 30A ends
			SH 30 west Tauranga, Whakatane

See also

• List of New Zealand State Highways

References

1. ^ "State Highways: Numbers Used, Location Descriptors, and Lengths (As at January 2004)". http://www.transit.govt.nz/about/faqs/SH-numbers-list.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-21.