And they're off. The new State Highway 1 is open, north and south of Kaikōura.

The first few cars were let through the checkpoints at Clarence and Hāpuku shortly after 1pm.

Blenheim man Garry Ham was travelling from Christchurch to pick up a boat trailer in Kaikōura and decided to take the coastal route.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Traffic heading to Kaikōura on the newly-opened coastal highway.

It was a shorter drive than he expected, he said. "It only added about an extra hour."

And the changed coastline was worth the trip, he said.

"When you go up along Ohau Point, where the lookout spot used to be, it's completely different. You look up the hill and go 'wow, that's the old road up there'. It's quite a weird experience. But you weren't allowed to stop anywhere."

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Free-flowing traffic in Ward after earlier congestion before SH1 opened either side of Kaikōura.

Ham stopped for a coffee at The Store, in Kēkerengū, for the first time in a year on his way past.

He would be taking the coastal route from now on, he said.

Close to 200 cars were lined up at the highway checkpoint in Clarence, north of Kaikōura, before the road opened just after 1pm.

EMILY HEYWARD/STUFF Hundreds waiting at Clarence for State Highway 1 to reopen.

Roadworkers let drivers through in 10-minute intervals to Clarence Bridge, with cars crossing the bridge five or six at a time. But some were waiting up to 40 minutes to across.

Ham said he was "sad" to see his favourite paua diving spots had disappeared.

"Once upon a time I would have been able to pull over and just go diving, but not anymore. It's totally different. The road was really good, what they've done, it was quite impressive.

EMILY HEYWARD/STUFF Roadworker Frank Stubbing started work, on the Clarence side, at 4am.

"But the hillside itself is just totally scarred, it's going to be like that for decades. It's a pretty sad symbol of what they've been through."



Roadworker Frank Stubbing started work at 4am, when workers were tarsealing the road, and painting road lines.

Another 100 cars were clustered at Hāpuku Beach, on the Kaikōura side, which opened about 1.20pm.

SH1 had been closed for 13 months due to damage from the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in November 2016. It reconnects the major route between Picton and Christchurch.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Traffic arrives in Ward as State Highway 1 reopens.

Cars on the Clarence end were backed up for 3 kilometres.

Clarence resident Linda Kitchingham was second in line behind motorcyclist Nigel Dixon, of Christchurch, and was on her way to Kaikōura to have a coffee with her sister for the first time in 13 months.

"It's the beginning of freedom again," she said. "This is the beginning of things coming back to normal. Life has been absolute hell for me here.



"I've been living at the end of a 90km cul-de-sac."

EMILY HEYWARD/STUFF Motorists queue to take the first trip south on State Highway 1.

Mother-of-five Te Hau Tenamu, from Auckland, arrived at the Clarence checkpoint at 8.30am and was sixth in the line.

She took the ferry over on Friday morning and thought the road would be open. Daughters Montana, 12, and Nancie Kimiia, 14, said they were bored.

But they've been sleeping, chatting to people and playing basketball.

EMILY HEYWARD/STUFF Frank Stubbing is letting cars through in 10-minute intervals.

Meanwhile, a deer is on the loose on State Highway 1, about 4km south of Ward. The deer narrowly missed oncoming vehicles which had to slow down and take evasive action. The deer was last spotted running towards Ward just after noon.

NZ Transport Agency earthquake recovery manager Tim Crow said the highway opening was a fantastic achievement.

It was a testament to the hard work of 1700 crew members on the ground, and the teamwork of the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR) alliance partners; NZTA, KiwiRail, Fulton Hogan, Downer, HEB Construction and Higgins.

EMILY HEYWARD/STUFF Clarence woman Linda Kitchingham, who was second in line behind Christchurch biker Nigel Dixon, is on her way to Kaikōura to have coffee with her sister for the first time in 13 months.

"Everyone has worked extremely hard under challenging conditions at times. It's been a real partnership that has delivered the key milestones in record time - the rail reopening in September, the harbour reopening in November and now the road.

"All of the team members involved should feel very proud of their efforts," Crow said.

NCTIR would also like to thank the community for their patience over the past year while work was underway, Crow said.

Ricky Wilson/STUFF Deer on SH1 just past Ward

"It's also been a long, tough year for the communities along the route. They have been very supportive and welcomed our workers in to fix the transport corridor, while dealing with uncertainties about their own homes, jobs and access to family and friends. We're delighted they can use the road in time for the holiday season."

DAWN CEREMONY

Earlier, a small coastal community north of Kaikōura played host to a dawn ceremony celebrating the reopening of SH1.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF The trumpet sounds at the dawn ceremony.

The ceremony was held in Rākautara, a small settlement 22 kilometres north of Kaikōura that was stranded between two giant slips after the quake. Vehicle access to their homes was restored in March.

It began on Friday with a welcome and blessing lead by Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura kaumātua Brett Cowan, before four trees were planted facing in each compass direction to acknowledge ngā hau e whā, or the four winds.

This was followed by speeches from Minister of Transport Phil Twyford and Kaikōura Mayor Winston Gray before a ceremonial ribbon cutting took place on the road. Guests then enjoyed crayfish sliders from Nins Bin, a local food stop.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF The dawn ceremony, and the obligatory cutting of the ribbon, was held at Rakautara, north of Kaikōura.

Cowan said the ceremony was a celebration of being connected with the north-south corridor.

HIGHWAY ADVICE

State Highway 1 north of Kaikoura is now open. Due to extensive queues forming in preparation of the opening road users should expect delays until these queues have cleared.

NZTA State Highway 1 flyover

• SH1 Mangamaunu to Waipapa Bay – ROAD OPEN - The road will close overnight at 8:30pm this evening.

• Each day SH 1 between Mangamaunu and Clarence will be open from 7 am to 8: 30 pm and closed overnight

• Road users are advised to expect delays and allow a minimum of 5.5 hours to travel between Christchurch and Picton on State Highway 1.

• When State Highway 1 north of Kaikoura is closed motorists travelling from Christchurch to Picton are advised to use the alternate route between Waipara to Blenheim via SH63, SH6, SH65, SH7. This route is open 24/7 and takes about 6.5 hours to travel.

• SH 1, south of Kaikoura, between Peketa and Goose Bay – road open – The road will close overnight at 8:30pm this evening.

• Each day SH 1 between Peketa and Goose Bay will be open from 7 am to 8:30 pm and closed overnight

• SH1 between Hundalee and Clarence has multiple roadwork sites. This section of road has speed restrictions in place as well as sections that will be under stop/go operation.

• Inland Route 70 is open 24/7. It also has a number of work sites in place. Road-users are advised to allow up to 3 hours for the journey.