A male has died in a suspicious fire at a Northern Canterbury sleepout today, police say.

A boy who saved six family members in a house fire tragically died while trying to save a seventh person.

The fatal plane crash yesterday in Canterbury, which caused a fire so hot it melted the fuselage, was witnessed by glider pilot John McCaw, uncle of All Black Richie McCaw.

A Picton paraglider has been rescued after a traumatic flight carried him around 30 kilometres off course.

Two pilots have died in separate incidents involving gliders in North Canterbury and South Auckland today.

A 13-year-old Balclutha girl has died after a boat capsized at Surat Bay near Pounawea in South Otago this afternoon.

A truck has caught on fire in Waikato blocking part of State Highway 27.

A female pedestrian has suffered life threatening injuries after being struck by a petrol tanker in central Dunedin this morning.

One person was seriously injured when a car crashed into a powerpole in Wellington early this morning.

A pilot trapped in a crashed microlight plane in the Central North Island has been freed by rescue crews.

Eight members of a family who were injured when their van hurtled down a cliff on the Napier Taupo road last week are recovering well in hospital, a family member says.

A West Auckland police station is on lockdown after a member of the public brought in an unknown object that he'd dug up in his garden.

A German tourist who was shot while hunting near Gisborne on Christmas Eve has been transferred to Auckland Hospital's critical care department.

A drunk driver who fled the scene of an early morning crash in Waikato could be seriously injured and police are "seriously concerned" about his whereabouts.

A police car was rammed by a driver in a stolen truck, who then escaped by driving the wrong way along the Auckland motorway overnight.

A German couple beaten and robbed in their tent in Whakatane early this morning have received an "overwhelming'' number of offers of help.