An Auckland man has described the "horrendous, phenomenal sound" of lightning striking his house during a thunderstorm this afternoon.

Construction cranes are not often objects of pictorial celebration but they should be.

Homes in west Auckland are without power after a car hit a transformer.

An elderly couple had to be freed by fire crews after their car became trapped between two buses.

Two Auckland passenger trains were just 800 metres from colliding on the same line when one of the drivers drove in the wrong direction.

Cameron Brewer says he is 'unlikely' to stand at this stage, but would consider it if he had the right support.

Council's decision to use "rainy day" is a big concern, says mayoral candidate Victoria Crone.

Police are looking for a 37-year-old man after he shot a woman in the leg in a central Auckland apartment.

Police are searching for a man who stole a day's worth of bank takings after he robbed a security van while armed with a gun in central Auckland.

A smoking truck blocking part of the left lane of State Highway One, northbound, just after the Harbour Bridge tonight.

A man has been arrested following a series of peeping tom incidents around Auckland's Grey Lynn. And it appears a hero cat may have played a part.

A planned multi-million dollar move to the central city by Auckland Transport is being questioned by mayoral candidate Phil Goff.

A 15-year-old Mangere student has spoken in defence of the low-income suburb saying his generation is ready to break the stereotype.

A crash has blocked the part of the Southern Motorway after Tip Top corner, in Mt Wellington.

The days of local politicians double-dipping on the Super City have ended after a bill by National list MP Alfred Ngaro passed into law last night.

A rock fall has partially blocking an arterial route in central Auckland.

Popular Auckland road famous for its Christmas lights set to become more user-friendly for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

An anonymous benefactor has given Youthline's Youth Health Service a $20,000 boost that will enable the service to keep its doors open.

Auckland city workers and inner-city dwellers could be paying more than $60 a day to park on the CBD streets from June.

This isn't the first time a competitor to Fullers has pulled the pin on a regular weekday Waiheke Island scehdule.

The Auckland Central Library has reopened this morning after a leak caused its closure yesterday.

Tourism operator Explore Group is quitting its ferry service to Waiheke Island just a year after it started.

Where have all the souvenir and convenience stores gone? Big stores are pushing them out of Queen Street.

Mild weather has brought rough sleepers from all over NZ to Auckland, with the presence of extra homeless people resulting in more complaints about beggars.

St John Ambulance said the patient was taken to Auckland City Hospital just after 3pm following an assault in the Auckland CBD.

A false alarm at SkyCity in Auckland frightened some patrons this afternoon.

The trial gave taxis 24-hour access to the bridge to improve links between the CBD, hospitals and Newmarket but they broke the rules.

It was hoped to raise what remained of the historic ferry later this afternoon after it sank at its Wynyard Wharf berth last month.

Gilda Kirkpatrick has called it a "giant white boob" but the Auckland dome is almost ready to house thousands of tonnes of cement.