Most of us are just plain worn out, yet we long to create and achieve the kind of holiday time sold to us by the media.

Holidaymakers faced huge traffic jams north and south yesterday as they tried to leave Auckland.The Northern Gateway toll road and the Kopu Bridge entry to Coromandel Peninsula were jammed as thousands deserted the city.

Matisse Reid's celebration of her 10th birthday and Christmas Day came to a halt when she was taken back into intensive care.

Central Christchurch retailers hit by the Boxing Day aftershock say it wiped out three months of economic recovery.

More than 12,000 items were added to the Trade Me website between 4pm and midnight on Christmas Day.

All the gifts Kiwis never wanted made their way on to Trade Me within hours of being received.

Chief Petty Officer Steve Clarke received the best Christmas gift ever yesterday: Watching his children unwrap their presents.

She is the Christmas angel who wanted to help another 9-year-old girl in suffering.

The family of a father-of-two hit by a car yesterday are grieving for 'a wonderful family man'.

Up until this week I had never bought a car. Forty-five - well, 46 tomorrow - and I'd never done something as fundamental as buying a car.

Record numbers of rooms are still available for people to book their summer break.

The importance of sport is a focus of this year's Christmas address to the Commonwealth from the Queen.

Your Christmas stories through comments from Twitter, Facebook and beyond.

How will you be spending your Christmas? Send us your photos and stories.

The blurring border between commercial and social has its dangers.

Staff at the Auckland City Mission have been rushed off their feet and will be cooking Christmas dinner for more than 2000 people tomorrow.

Hamilton Zoo have had an early Christmas present this year - four meerkats from Auckland Zoo.