Fire crews remained on watch last night near the remains of a forest blaze near Dunedin.

The fire on Signal Hill in Dunedin has been contained, but about 40 firefighters and three helicopters are continuing to fight the blaze.

News of George Michael's death shook the world. His former Kiwi gardener pays tribute to him.

A former Dunedin bus driver "wrongly branded as a thief and a fraudster" after being dismissed over a $2.90 fare has won nearly $20,000 in compensation.

A Dunedin designer making use of an ever-replenishing Otago resource will make her debut on the catwalk next year.

Investigations into the officers who dealt with Edward Livingstone revealed ''systemic failures and issues'' among police before the tragic deaths of his two kids.

What will start out as a cloudy morning for most of the country should clear as the Christmas day wears on, but the odd shower is in store too.

Wet weather today will clear throughout the country making way for a mainly fine Christmas weekend.

Jo-Anne Ireland, from Alexandra, is not keen on the small garden-dwellers - but every year she gets a present from 'Santa'.

What will the weather be doing on Sunday for Christmas?

A major Dunedin tourism operator says it may be time to reconsider turning away public bookings in favour of cruise ship passengers.

Half of Delta's executive leadership team has jumped ship as fallout from the pole scandal continues to rock the Dunedin company.

The owners of a small independent Mosgiel business have been traumatised by the theft of thousands of dollars worth of jewellery from the store.

There was a record downpour in Auckland, a tornado in Taranaki and "quake lights" above Wellington. Oh, and 2016 was likely also New Zealand's hottest year on record.

A bad weather forecast has scuppered the historic Dunedin visit of mega-cruise ship the Ovation of the Seas on Thursday.

If variety is the spice of life, this week is set to be a lively one.

Two family members have stabbed each other in Dunedin.

Three people were trapped after a two-car crash on Dunedin's Northern Motorway this afternoon.

Fire crews are fighting a vegetation fire south of Dunedin this morning.

A new $240 million mozzarella plant will be the single largest foodservice investment in the history of New Zealand's dairy industry.

Beautiful Portobello has wildlife, great views and excellent coffee.

A pregnant woman who stole from her dying mother, burst into tears when she was told she would give birth behind bars.

A Christchurch man who committed a series of sexual offences, including rapes, at ''raves'' in several parts of the South Island has had his sentence reduced.

Parts of the North Island are expected to hit 30 degrees today, with Hawke's Bay getting the biggest dose of the sun's rays.

The troubled health portfolio is likely to be handed to Dunedin list MP Michael Woodhouse if it is vacated as a result of National's leadership contest, senior doctors' union head Ian Powell says.

A man who put a 3-year-old into a scalding bath, causing the boy's skin to "flake off", has been jailed for nearly four years.

A 40-year-old man had been charged with arson after three fires in Dunedin overnight.

Judge allows media to take photo of All Blacks test streaker in court: "He was happy to be filmed and watched by millions around the world..."

A group of tourists watched as a truck drove over ducklings and their mother.

Missing Dunedin woman Alice Tocher has been found and is in a Brisbane hospital, her father has confirmed.