Rest areas on tourist highways : [dissertation, Diploma of Landscape Architecture, Lincoln College]

Abstract

Rest areas on New Zealand tourist highways' have primarily been provided as features to increase the safety of road users by making provision for rest stops. However from the point of view of the tourist they also provide important opportunities to enhance experience of the landscape. As tourism continues to grow and as the trend towards more flexible forms of transportation continue, rest areas will become increasingly significant facilities. This study aims to identify the functions that rest areas fulfil now and potentially, and to consider ways that they can become a well integrated part of the tourists travelling experience.

The approach taken is firstly to consider tourists to understand as much as possible who they are and what they are travelling for. Given these aspirations attention is turned to the travel experience to analyse the inherent characteristics of high speed road travel and to identify opportunities presented by stopping. Section two looks at ways to integrate rest areas into the travel experience. This section looks principally at distribution planning, site selection and site treatment. A case study is then given in section three and the theoretical considerations previously outlined are tested on a real situation. An evaluation of existing provision is also made. Finally the factors responsible for the present problems are identified and recommendations are given.