Authorities assisting with wildlife recovery are being inundated with oiled little blue penguins. It is the middle of breeding season for the nocturnal birds who get covered in the thick tar-like oil while crossing rocks to return to their burrows.

The belongings of a family that moved to Brisbane to escape quake-battered Christchurch were on the stricken ship.

Large fractures in the hull of the stricken cargo ship Rena are getting worse, increasing the chances the ship will break up after aerial footage showed the hull of the vessel grounded on Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga has cracked open.

Face masks could be issued to those living near beach areas affected by oil leaking from the MV Rena, which has lost up to 70 containers overnight. The ship's captain has been charged over the incident and granted bail after a court appearance..

A RNZAF Orion has failed to find any sign of six young people missing in a small craft in the Pacific.

Maritime New Zealand has launched an inquiry into the Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands vessel Excitor III after several passengers were injured, including one woman who had to spend 12 weeks in a body brace.