Emergency services were busy on the road and in the air over the three-day Labour Weekend holiday.
Northland's rescue chopper service dealt with emergencies ranging from a man whose leg was broken by a kick from a horse to another patient with leg injuries after a car flipped off the road and landed upside down on a beach.
On a very busy Sunday in particular, only one Northland Rescue Helicopter (NRH) call-out related to a road crash.
Read more: Labour Weekend looking fine on the North Island east coast
The first lift on Sunday was taking a motorcyclist injured during the Tangiteroria Trail Bike Ride to Whangarei Hospital with suspected back injuries.
NRH was next called to a location between Te Paki and Cape Reinga to pick up a patient whose leg was broken by a kick from a horse.
During that call-out another one came in regarding transferring a medical patient from Whangarei to Auckland Hospital and bringing another back from there to Whangarei.
A medi-helicopter from Auckland had to be called in for those transfers.
At 6.30pm, the NRH crew flew to Omapere for a patient who had leg injuries after a car flipped off State Highway 12 and landed on its roof on the beach alongside the road.
Two other people in the vehicle at the time had minor injuries.
While that call-out was under way, the Auckland service was again brought in to take a maternity patient from Whangarei Hospital to Auckland.
Yesterday proved much quieter, with no call-outs for NRC crews. Roading police were also busy with several crashes over the long weekend.
Several "fender bender" incidents slowed already bumper to bumper traffic between Far North and Kaiwaka yesterday afternoon in particular.
As motorists headed home yesterday to escape the rainy weather a collision near Lemon's Hill, Kawakawa, slowed the southbound traffic. Just after midday a police officer was directing traffic at Kawakawa intersection to ensure traffic continued to flow.
Traffic from the Waipu side of the Brynderwyn Hills and Kaiwaka came to a standstill temporarily about 2.45pm yesterday due to the high traffic volumes.
Acting police roading manager, Inspector Chris McLellan said motorists had generally heeded the key safety messages police had promoted through break stops and highway patrols - be patient, pay attention, keep speed down and make sure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seat-belt.
But Northland police remained busy dealing with several crashes and managing bumper to bumper traffic flows in wet weather.
With one more night before the holiday period was officially over at 6am today , police were breathing a sigh of relief there had been few serious incidents.
Around 6.30pm on Saturday a motorcyclist received minor injuries when he crashed on State Highway 10 near Mangonui. No other vehicles were involved.
Later on Saturday, a driver was shaken but not injured when his car hit a cow wandering on Mull Rd at Mangamuka; the injured cow did was euthanased.