Relatives of the 257 people killed in the Mt Erebus air disaster returned last night from an emotional memorial service in Antarctica.

His parents were among the 257 people killed in the Mt Erebus disaster, so now Andrew Bond is going to complete their Antarctic trip for them.

Nick Smith has ruled out holding an independent review of ACC's procedures around elective surgery claims unless the corporation begins to lose large numbers of appeals against its decisions.

The teenaged son of a woman who died after an out-of-control driver smashed into a group of cyclists and killed three of them has described the scene of roadside carnage which will haunt him for the rest of his life.

A young woman involved in a fatal collision that killed three cyclists late last year has been sentenced to 300 hours community service and fined $10,000 on each of three charges.

A 13-month-old girl run over in her west Auckland driveway died despite the frantic efforts of family members who rushed her to hospital.

Two people have been flown to Rotorua Hospital following separate climbing and rafting accidents in the central North Island today.

Holding his only surviving daughter after a horror car crash, Donald Coulter says: "I thank my lucky stars I still have one. I still wish I had two."

A quiet ride for Claire van Schaik ended with her lying in agony on the road with a set of handlebars embedded 10cm into her stomach.