Christmas can be one of the most dreaded times for women and children affected by domestic violence.

Doris and Jose Aponte arrived in Auckland on Monday with daughter Dorica, tired from their long flight but delighted to see Dorica's sister Alex.

Performing school productions and shows in front of their home town has always been something youngsters in Queenstown have loved to do.

Okay, woohoo! We're into the last shopping week before Christmas, but I'm not panicking, I've been pretty well organised this year. Online shopping is a marvellous thing.

Kiwis have been waiting more than a month for overseas parcels containing Christmas presents, as mail authorities here question who is to blame.

Sheila Hussona's family set up foil balloons to welcome family flying in from Qatar at the weekend.

This will be my last column before the end of the world. With that in mind, I've decided to divide this one up into three sections.

Women heading back into the workforce after a long break and worried they have nothing to wear to a job interview are getting a boost of confidence from the team at Dress for Success.

Kiwis are flocking to the shops to stock up for Christmas, with eftpos spending up on last year. Westfield spokeswoman Deb McGhie said it appeared shopping centres were busier this year than last - though they wouldn't know for sure until next year

Kiwis will be able to fire up the barbecues and set up the cricket sets this Christmas, with sunny weather forecast for much of the country. WeatherWatch.co.nz has today released its Chrismas Day forecast, which predicts high temperatures and sunshine

Serves 12. 1 ripe pomegranate. 2 fresh papaya (paw paw), nice and ripe. 9 kiwifruit peeled and thickly sliced. 1 pineapple, cut into 1cm chunks. Trifle sponge, bought or made.

Christmas shoppers are being tempted with offers of "interest-free" cash loans before an interest rate in excess of 500 per cent kicks in.

Toast slices of day old bread, one side only. The bread needs to be reasonably rustic, eg, a country style loaf. Slice strawberries and pile these on to the untoasted side of the bread. Sift a good amount of icing sugar over the fruit.

I’m a big fan of Christmas pudding with custard and cream followed by a dish of trifle after Christmas dinner. However, the stomach has its limits! I can almost feel mine groaning at the thought of it.

Man's best friend has long been a solid companion for many people around the world. But one Kiwi charity is working hard to raise special pups that will act not only as a companion but, in some cases, a lifesaver for dozens of Kiwis with disabilities.

It can be stressful sending your child to school and not knowing if they will be able to avoid the food they are allergic to or if staff know what to do in an emergency.

Most of the gags work and Dotcom is great, but MegaChristmas could have done with some editing, writes Paul Simei-Barton.