David Bourke is remanded for a psychiatric report after making no plea in the Palmerston North District Court.

Jill Worrall finds a tourist attraction she'd be proud to take overseas visitors to.

This week's snow storm could have killed up to 200 lambs on each Hawkes Bay hill country farm affected, Federated Farmers says.

Police say the Napier-Taupo highway will stay closed until all of the abandoned cars have been removed.

Police tackled and disarmed a hypothermic fugitive who had been on the run for about 48 hours in Hawkes Bay today.

Two major highways may re-open this afternoon after unseasonal heavy snow in the last two days stranded motorists for two nights.

Police are this morning resuming their search for a gunman who shot at two people - one a policeman - and fled, leaving a dead body in his car.

A Hawke's Bay gunman who shot at police and threatened farmers has gone to ground.

Motorists who spent a freezing night in their snow-trapped cars on the Napier-Taupo Highway are rescued.

Cordons have been set up around 15 square kilometres of farmland as a police helicopter and armed police search for a gunman.

A body was found in the car of a gunman on the run in the lower North Island.

A severe weather warning is issued for the lower North Island while police warn of surface flooding in Auckland.