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.

Thames & Coromandel District Mayor Sandra Goudie discusses the state of the region after wild weather hit overnight. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

An unwell little blue penguin was spotted wandering Hokio Beach.

What's next for our rain-sodden regions?

A_HBT17073909.JPG. ALL CLEAR: Fire crews dressed in Hazmat suits getting decontaminated after attending Camberley School for a thermometer

Weather watches or warning are in place for most of the upper North Island as more rain is forecast over the week.

A woman who prepares Meals-on-Wheels had $30,000 worth of equipment and food stolen.

A German tourist is considering leaving the country after thieves stole all his possessions in Tutukaka.

A house fire in Whanganui this afternoon led emergency services to cordon off a street. Barrack St was cordoned off from Somme Parade

It's going to be a wet in the North Island but best get the woollies out if you head down south.

A jury trial for six men over the largest seizure of methamphetamine ever in the country will be April next year.

The New Zealand Defence Force and Ministry of Defence must now find a new headquarters for hundreds of staff.

A cold change sweeping up the South Island this afternoon has seen temperatures drop by double digits in 10 minutes.

Kauri Dam near Kaitaia has been leaking for "donkey's years" but it's recently changed.

NZ and US navy officers hone their mine-clearing skills off Northland's coast.

It'll be a beautiful day in most parts of the North Island today.

A $1.12 million Whangarei house will be sold to pay debt from the Masala Indian Restaurant chain.

The average wedding can cost couples $30,000, but if you could do it for under $3,000 (with everything taken care of), would you?

Cellphone company comes to the rescue, after helper loses phone at crash scene.

Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall has rejected a report by the Maxim Institute suggesting many regions like his will drop or stagnate within three decades. Made with funding from NZ On Air

Stirling Sports hadn't even replaced its shop front before it was ram raided for the second time in five weeks. At around 12.30am

A lack of Spark reception up North means more people are being denied home detention, and instead going to jail.

WATCH: The way a Black Power gang couple exchanged their wedding vows is going viral.

A man has been seriously injured after being hit by a car on a rural road near Katikati.

Searchers have confirmed that the body of a 21-year-old student missing at Lake Karapiro has been found.

While autumn starts this week, summery weather is expected to continue for a while.

A stray cat found in a loose leg-hold trap has had to be put down.

North Island Showjumping Champs in Tauranga 'fantastic', says organiser.