It'll be a beautiful day in most parts of the North Island today.

Thousands have reported feeling the two big quakes in Canterbury.

Witnesses said the Givealittle recipient came close to hitting several children playing on the footpath.

Helicopters will return at dawn to see the damage caused by yesterday's wildfire north of Christchurch.

Travel is safer now, so fewer of us are dying in large-scale disasters, but climate change could reverse the trend.

Large fires near the Hanmer Springs turnoff on the Lewis Pass Rd have brought traffic to a standstill and cut power in the area.

No parole for man who kidnapped and stabbed pie delivery driver Marteine Robin in March 2012.

Driver, 14, likely to be referred to Youth Court after crash that killed three.

A dognapped pooch sold within hours of going missing is back with her family.

A Christchurch family is pleading for the safe return of their son's ashes after burglars stole them.

A South Canterbury farmer is looking for an employee capable of wearing his pants around his bum - instead of his knees. He also

Sick of the little green man turning to red before you've had enough time to cross the road?

Two lucky Lotto players have scooped $3.8 million tonight.

While cordons on the Port Hills have been relaxed, Civil Defence says non-residents are still banned from the area

Hero chopper pilot Steve Askin was a man who valued serving others, father Paul says.

Chris Buick's attack on his heavily-pregnant former partner only stopped when she lay on the ground and pretended to be dead.

Amazing aerial footage shows the extent of the fire damage in the Port Hills.

Police are appealing for information on the death of Nicole Morris last month.

Effort to cap rates didn't quite work out as planned this year.

Firefighting operations could continue at Port Hills for up to a month.

Penguins are much older than previously thought and their evolution probably dates back to the days of the dinosaurs.

A FedEx package was sent from Venezuela to Rakaia in Canterbury which police believed was full of cocaine.

Courtney Whitaker steps back into Christchurch's history and sees its future.

A major hydroponic cannabis growing operation, with more than 800 plants, has been found by police in South Canterbury.

Burned vegetation clear in satellite images of Christchurch Port Hills.

American tourists are the most seriously injured in yesterday's horror bus smash.

Firefighters are pulling back from the Worsleys area, as the situation in Christchurch continues to improve.

Watch: The bus, carrying more than 30 people, collided with a car just after 5pm and crashed down a bank.

Police and the Armed Offenders Squad swarmed a Canterbury property today, only to find no one there.

Justice Minister Amy Adams' passionate plea to Bruce Springsteen went unanswered - the closest she got to him was on the big screen.