Mate I spent 20years in the South Island. The Central Otago scam is well known. Use substandard asphalt, water ingress, freezes, lifts, potholes. Get paid to do it all again.We have a new expressway between Auckland and Hamilton. If anyone can do a trip in both directions without hitting any road works, especially on the new piece that is less than 5 years old without hitting road works. They should buy a lotto ticket as chances are it's your lucky day.
I have to drive through there often. Either to get to family, to Hamilton to meet family halfway, or for work. When it opened you got a drive that wasn't disrupted. The last few years there is usually a few sections where it is down to one lane for repairs which creates a queue. Or you get redirected to the other side of the road which then impacts that direction as it's down to one lane.
I've stopped on that expressway quite often and admired how much road seal they are putting down.
Need to bring back capital punishment for damages to society.