Skies around the country have been looking noticeably more hazy orange and bronze-coloured in the past few days as smoke from Australia's scorching bushfires reaches us.

The past few years have not been great for those in the business of predicting natural disasters, writes Chris De Freitas. Think of the doomsday forecasts of Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping and that of the much hyped Mayan calendar.

Farmers and conservationists are bracing for the effects of the bushfires still raging down the eastern states.

This year has seen dizzying highs, devastating lows, Mother Nature at her most furious, a mesmerising court case and panic as Marmite production ceased.

Kim Dotcom and a spate of natural disasters have been among the most popular topics with New Zealand Herald readers this year.

A state of natural disaster has been declared for 15 days in Fiji as the Pacific nation begins the clean-up in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Evan

Samoans in New Zealand are still anxiously waiting to hear how their loved ones fared after Cyclone Evan hit.

Two ships were grounded and houses thrown through the air as winds of up to 270km/h uprooted trees and homes force hit Fiji during Tropical Cyclone Evan.

The first Kiwis to return from cyclone-ravaged Samoa have told of their narrow escapes from the devastation.

The category three tropical cyclone currently lashing Samoa could develop into a category five monster by the time it reaches Fiji.

We track deadly Cyclone Evan as he leaves Samoa and aims to take a massive and direct hit to Fiji as monster category 4 tropical storm. We have the latest maps, forecasts and tracking for this storm, which some models show will drift close to NZ in the days before Christmas.

Cyclone Evan, which has already reportedly claimed the lives of three people, continues to batter Samoa today and is expected to intensify with winds up to 145km/h. Last night there were reports of widespread flash floods, blocked roads, damaged buildings and evacuations.

Tropical Cyclone Evan is making its presence felt as it sweeps through the Pacific Islands, hitting Samoa and Fiji with winds of up to 185km/h, leaving a trail of debris behind it.

Doomsayers believe December 21, 2012, marks the end of an ancient Mayan calendar - and, therefore, the onset of world-ending natural or extraterrestrial catastrophes.

Families of Canterbury Television building collapse victims have welcomed the findings of a royal commission into the building's collapse.

Leading Aircraftman Rochelle Wech had just set up home in Wallingford Way with her boyfriend after a six-month deployment in East Timor when the tornado hit.

A strong earthquake struck the same Japanese coast devastated by last year's massive quake and tsunami, generating small waves but no immediate reports of heavy damage.

All non-residential buildings and high-rise, multi-unit apartments in NZ will be assessed for earthquake risk and the results made public under new proposals.

Our relationship with natural heritage is second to none but our relationship with cultural heritage is not so secure, writes Alexander Gillespie.

A shock jump in the unemployment rate to 7.3 per cent would have been worse without jobs being generated from the Christchurch rebuild.