New Year's Day is tipped to offer sunny weather for most of the country and some respite from the recent muggy, humid weather.

A 2-year-old boy has been flown to hospital with head injuries after plunging two metres from a bridge near a remote cafe in Golden Bay.

The wife of a Tahunanui man was present as he crashed after strong gusts lifted him off the ground this afternoon.

New Zealand's road to the 2012 London Olympic begins in Adelaide this weekend at the Oceania track championships.

An ex-policeman convicted over an accident which seriously injured two motorcyclists has been found guilty of driving a moped while disqualified.

A woman whose family was terrorised by two drunken sailors says she does not want to see the men thrown out of the New Zealand Navy.

A surly swan is terrorising a stretch of Nelson's Maitai River - chasing kids, harassing a woman with a pram and having a hissy fit at a kayaker.

A severe weather warning has been issued as heavy rain and gales are expected to hit areas across the country.

A superloo with glass exterior walls was among 12 designs recognised last week as the winners of this year's New Zealand Architecture Awards from Nelson and Marlborough were announced.