The father of George Anderson, whose body was removed from rural Hangaroa yesterday afternoon, was also a pilot.

Eight properties in Marlborough have been identified as being too badly damaged to be entered.

Businesses in quake-hit areas will be paid to keep on staff for at least eight weeks, the Govt says.

As Govt announces its relief package, Kaikoura businesses spell out what they need to survive.

West Coast police today advised motorists to take extra care when driving through the Lewis Pass and Maruia Valley on SH7 and SH65 as traffic numbers build up.

Police are checking that people have a legitimate reason to be in quake-hit areas.

New aerial photos show there is much work to be done after Monday's 7.8 quake.

A mercy mission into rural quake-hit Marlborough has led to donations for farming communities and offers of help.

WATCH: When Ben Todd saw water rising towards his family home he knew there was only one thing to do.

Scott Watson has always claimed he is innocent of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.

A man who was beaten up as he walked home from work says two men attacked him simply because he was wearing a pink shirt.

Victim had been at the intersection when he was confronted by a man holding a knife.

A winemaker is hooked on pinot and the land where it's grown, writes Stephanie Holmes.

A message in a bottle found in the Chatham Islands has helped solve the mystery of another letter in a bottle found on Nelson's Boulder Bank more than a decade ago.

Demonstrations calling for the release of convicted murderer Scott Watson were held in Christchurch and Blenheim today by people protesting his innocence.

A 20-year-old woman is desperately searching for her father with a Bob Marley jersey possibly providing a vital clue.

There has been a death at a level crossing in Blenheim this afternoon.

Police have found 82-year-old Eileen Stewart and say she is fit and well.

It has been burning in 25 hectares of bush in steep terrain on Vernon Station, near Blenheim.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Richard McNamara says five planes and ground crews worked on the scene until it got dark, when the aircraft were withdrawn.

Boozing New Zealanders cause trouble, Blenheim backpacking outfit claims.

Police have released CCTV footage of the pair, who forced their way through a small side door at the Springlands Tavern overnight.

A tourist was was threatened with a knife and had his backpack stolen after he was dropped off outside Blenheim.

Peter Jackson uses his creative genius to tell aviation stories.

A fruit distillery provides an alternative to Marlborough's usual wine tours.

CCTV footage of the two incidents was being reviewed, police said, and items of interest had been recovered from both scenes.

The Blenheim centre holding Sir Peter Jackson’s WWI planes will get a $1.5m boost in funding from the Govt.

An 87-year-old woman has been rescued from a creek after wandering from her rest home in Blenheim.

A one-legged ex-serviceman has managed to hold off thieves in Blenheim who tried to grab the poppy donation bucket he was carrying.