A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged over an alleged sex attack on a woman in Gisborne on New Year's Day.

Emergency services are battling a scrub fire in Gisborne.

New Zealand crowds 'not as spoiled' as the rest of the world, say chart-toppers.

A teen who ran to the aid of a woman being attacked at a campground on New Year's Day has described her screams as the "most horrific" thing he has ever heard.

Big swells predicted to surge up the eastern side of New Zealand from Kaikoura to north of Mahia Peninsula

EXCLUSIVE: Family members recall how Leotisia Malakai - the third victim of a horrific bus crash near Gisborne - slipped into a coma and never woke up.

Leticia Malakai's death brings the holiday road toll to 19 - the highest since the 2011/2012 period.

As most Kiwis were partying to see the new year in, others were being born.

Eight people were arrested after a police raid of 12 tents at the Rhythm & Vines music festival at Gisborne yesterday.

A spectacular fireworks display off Auckland's Sky Tower and parties around the country herald the start of a new year.

A man has been arrested after another man was allegedly stabbed in the remote East Cape.

American hip hop artist Chance the Rapper wooed a capacity crowd on the first day of Rhythm and Vines, telling the crowd he would move to NZ.

Sombre music rang out as the band opened the service with a tribute to Sione Taumalolo, 11, and Talita Moimoi Fifita, 33, killed in the bus crash.

Road toll now equal to last summer's following death of motorcyclist.

The Tongan brass brand which lost two members in a Christmas Eve bus crash performed a tribute concert tonight as the holiday road toll climbed to 11.

Survivors of the deadly Christmas Eve bus crash in Gisborne will perform a tribute concert today - the same day the bus was recovered from the scene.

The surviving members of the Tongan band involved in last week's bus crash will fly to Auckland tomorrow, courtesy of Air New Zealand.

Fund will help the people injured in Gisborne bus crash.

State Highway 2 between Gisborne and Wairoa will be closed at some point over the next two days to investigate at fatal bus crash.

Her smile always made him happy, says the widower of Gisborne bus crash victim.

Don't let the morning cloud fool you - it is set to be a fine Boxing Day for New Zealanders, with Central Otago tipped as the best place to be.

The two people killed in the Christmas Eve bus crash near Gisborne last night have been named, as the driver of the bus says the brakes failed.

Two people have died after a bus carrying school bands and their chaperons from Tonga went 100m off a bank and crashed south of Gisborne.

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

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.

Final repairs were made this morning to high voltage lines which were brought down when a light plane crashed, killing the two people on board.

Now that Gisborne is out of the unexpected chaos and back to the usual Christmas mayhem, locals are reflecting on how it all started. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Now that Gisborne is out of the unexpected chaos and back to the usual Christmas mayhem, locals are reflecting on how it all started. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

More than 40,000 Gisborne residents have been asked to prepare for eight hours without power again this Sunday.

Tairawhiti Police, Civil Defence and Eastland Network called a press conference today, with some good news. Made with funding from NZ On Air.