Luke Kirkness has worked for NZME since 2017, operating in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty.
I love sports and telling stories so you could say being a sports journalist is living the dream for me. Growing up in Otago, I thought I'd end up farming but instead found my way to journalism and haven't looked back. I started working for the Herald in 2017 casually on weekends before taking on a full-time role as the evening breaking news reporter. I moved on to the consumer affairs round in 2019, spending two years on that desk before moving from Auckland to Tauranga to become an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. In 2019, I was named the New Zealand Student Journalist of the Year. I love getting out of the office and spending time reporting on the ground. Since I started, I've covered every major story, including the Nelson fires, the Christchurch massacre, the Whakaari/White Island eruption, general elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and Cyclone Gabrielle. I’m currently an online sport editor at NZ Herald, based in Auckland and covering all sports. I'm working towards becoming a newsroom editor. I like having a good laugh, meeting new people and telling stories in non-traditional ways.
Preserving paradise: The hidden battle at our borders
Guardians of the border: Unveiling the unsung heroes of Biosecurity New Zealand.
State highway pothole plague - the regions with the most revealed
Pothole plague: The quality of roading is 'leaving a lot to be desired'.
'Little passion bug': Distillery wins big after only six weeks in existence
'Winning any award is amazing, but double gold is truly phenomenal.'
'Staggering amounts of rain': Where nearly 550mm fell in Hawke's Bay
"It helps us understand how heavy the rain was in a relatively short period of time."
Rotorua receives 10% of yearly rainfall overnight
Torrential rain lashed parts of the North Island over the weekend.
Photojournalist helping bridge the gap between farm and plate
The book tells the stories of the people who are the backbone of farming in New Zealand.
'It’s unavoidable': Major roadworks set for rest of summer
Road crews are hoping for continued good weather to get all the renewal work finished.
'Annoying and a bit upsetting': Thieves butcher farmer's sheep
It's not the first time John Armstrong has lost sheep.
Luke Kirkness: Hindsight won't help us in the fight against climate change
OPINION: Surely we can all see the climate is causing chaos in New Zealand.
Wastewater system blockages cause overflows, temporary health warning issued
Saturday's overflows follow three other incidents this year caused by fatbergs.
Luke Kirkness: The disease risk that requires our full attention
OPINION: We've learnt first-hand how infectious diseases spread and the impact they have.
Butcher hit 'rock bottom'. Then something made him decide to stay open
The butcher, subjected to smash and grabs and break-ins, was ready to call it quits.
New fishing season starts this week: What you need to know
The new trout fishing season gets under way this week — here's what you need to know.
The cost to try and eliminate Aussie pest from Bay of Plenty
They might be small but the introduced pest leaves a wake of destruction in their path.
Arrangement tackles seasonal worker shortage: Good move or too little, too late?
Seasonal workers from three countries will be able to enter New Zealand from next month.
A fundraiser like no other: A cow, $2000 and hundreds of people
The Bethlehem School fundraiser sounds too outrageous to be true - but it is.
'Treat them like a bluebottle': Potentially harmful sea slug washing up along BOP coast
People are advised to stay away from the slugs and to keep dogs away from them too.
Wastewater leaks into Lake Rotorua, swimming advised against
A leak in a wastewater main near a pump station is being blamed for the incident.
Shark study sought: 'Things have changed now' says expert
Shark expert Riley Elliott wants to uncover what happens under the water near Bowentown.
Deluge to hit NZ: Where and when the rain will strike
Weather will become widespread today, with heavier falls expected overnight.
Less to bee desired: Bees create massive honeycomb in man's roof
Spring is a wild time for beekeepers in Auckland, with new swarms popping up each day.
Authorities testing crew on Brisbane infection ship; 1 new imported Covid case
There were zero new cases of the virus yesterday.
Bloomfield: Americold unlikely the source of new cluster
A worker at the Rydges Hotel in Auckland is not linked to the existing August cluster.
Popular brewery rises from the ashes
Matakana's Sawmill Brewery, which was decimated by fire last year, is to reopen.
Brrrrrr: Auckland plummets to 1C as winter freeze grips NZ
The coldest place in NZ was -4.2C.
Emergency law: Auckland to take extra 15 million litres from Waikato River
The crisis is nearly at breaking point, prompting the enactment of the emergency law.
Weather: Settled start to Easter before cold, wet weather hits
A powerful storm is brewing and could hamper spirits on Easter Sunday and Monday.
'Better than sitting on the couch': Farmer runs 64km around home during lockdown
He even managed to milk the cows twice while completing the gigantic run.
Caught out! Fishermen snapped breaking lockdown rules
The fishermen were heard calling for a friend to pick them up from the boat ramp.
MPI fires stark warning to raw milk retailers
MPI says consumer health being put at risk through tactics that avoid compliance costs.
The early bird gets the worm: Cheap flights to regional destinations dwindling
Air NZ ramped up its regional services after Jetstar withdrawal from five regional routes.
Woodshed and a vehicle lost in large Queenstown scrub fire
The fire was ignited near Skippers Road, which winds through Skippers Canyon.
Injured chainsaw-operator rescued from tree in dark
Emergency services were first called to tree rescue in Northland about 5.30pm.
Hemp burger: Eating green just stepped up a notch
The burger, called Electric Pūhā, will be sold for one month only or while stocks last.
A tiny fruit fly was found in an Auckland suburb. NZ spent $4m to get rid of it.
'We're talking about the protection of a multimillion-dollar industry.'
Wet weather doesn't mean you can light fires in Northland
Firefighters are remaining on high alert despite periods of rain in the region.
Temperatures to drop to average following hot week
It comes after another sweltering night for some.
Heatwave: Temps set to soar into 30s, Wgtn Airport fogged in
The hottest spots are likely to be more inland today but even Auckland can expect 29C.
Grieving family tell of fisherman's big heart
"He wasn't about himself, he was about everyone else."
'Our worst nightmare': Tractor deaths shake farming community
Death of Nadine Tomlinson and her son, Angus, was community's worst nightmare, locals say.
Spring 'just around the corner'
Rough start to September but the super-Spring weather isn't far away.
Before and after: The tale of Auckland's luckiest lamb
Before and after pictures of the lamb highlight the difference a good shower can make.
Spring on hold as winter weather returns
Say goodbye to the weekend's sunshine as winter returns.