A head-on collision near Whanganui has taken the road toll for the holiday weekend to six.
Police were called at about 4pm on Sunday after a Subaru Imprezza collided with a Nissan Bluebird on Kaikokopu Road.
They say a woman, 74, who was the passenger in the Nissan died at the scene, while the car's driver was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Police say some of the five people in the Subaru received minor injuries.
Inspector Ian Harris says the cause of the accident is unknown, but it happened on a gravel road and people need to drive to the conditions.
A truck driver died in a crash on State Highway One just south of Kaikoura at 8.30am on Sunday.
The incident happened 200 metres south of the Conway River bridge
and no other vehicle was involved.
Police say speed and alcohol appear to have been factors in a crash near Huntly, in which two people died.
Emergency services were called to Rotowaro Road, west of Huntly, at 1.45am on Sunday morning.
Police say a man, believed to have been the driver of the vehicle, made his way to a nearby house to raise the alarm, and was taken to Waikato Hospital with serious injuries.
Two people were found dead when an ambulance arrived and the police are speaking to a fourth person, who was dropped off in Huntly shortly before the crash.
The two other road deaths this weekend were in the Tararua district and in Southland.
2009 toll
Last year's toll was eight.
The holiday weekend officially ends at 6am on Tuesday.
Police are also reminding motorists that the speed tolerance is 4km over the official limit for the holiday period, not 10km.
