Thousands soaked up all the action at two events celebrating culture and community.

Two Hamilton boys did the right thing when they handed in a bag of cash.

Friends and family are mourning 'bright light' who died in car crash.

Dargaville man gets home detention for forcing his neighbour to hand over $10,000 cash.

The weekend will be mainly fine across the country.

Forestry trucking is ripping up Whanganui's rural roads. Now ratepayers face a possible $20 million bill to fix them.

An elderly couple were watching TV when one of their windows was broken by a cracking sound.

An Egyptian hacker is believed to be behind a cyber attack that took down Top Energy's website.

Caption: The humpback whale which popped up next to Dolphin Seafaris NZ cruise heading out to find dolphins. Photo/Sam Gilbert for

A woman was dragged along the ground during a brazen daylight bag snatch.

Hawke's Bay nannies who have seen first-hand the devastating effects of methamphetamine (P) on their families are taking a stand against

A farmer was pinned under a tractor after a crash south of Kaikohe.

WATERY GRAVE: The stern of the Rena photographed earlier this month on Astrolabe Reef. PHOTO/SUPPLIED 130317sp51bop_rena.JPG By John

About 50 sparrows are believed to have been poisoned.

The homes are between Whangamata and Tairua, areas among the most affected by record-breaking rains.

Relief in sight for waterlogged regions.

The power-packed storm meteorologists have dubbed the "Tasman Tempest" dumped more rain on Auckland than typically falls for the whole of March.

People are being advised to avoid New Lynn due to the risk of unstable buildings.

The skies are beginning to clear after last night's storm, but the respite may be short-lived, with thunderstorms and more heavy rain forecast for later today.

An incredible 130mm of rain has fallen in the Coromandel Ranges in the past 24 hours.

Parts of Auckland and other North Island regions are under water and without power as torrential rain causes havoc. There's even more foul weather to come.

A 19-year-old student with cerebral palsy hopes for life-changing surgery to play sport.

No major damage from yesterday's storm, but there's more on the way.

A child has head injuries after being hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing in Porirua.

The Bay and Coromandel region has already had a month's worth of rain this week - and another month's worth is about to fall. MetService

Scientists have put a recent spate of Central North Island quakes down to long-term tectonic "stretching" rather than worrying volcanic activity.

Baby Nathan Christensen's arrival coincided with flooding that forced his mum into a helicopter dash.

Ruawai woman says she was incarcerated in a prison of her own making.

A volunteer group advocating for, among other things, fair outcomes in the justice penal system and rehabilitation of prisoners has formed a branch in Northland.

More than 100 lightning bolts have struck Northland in the past half hour.