A graduation party in the Bay of Plenty turned sour when a 17-year-old girl was left unconscious after a fight broke out this morning.

The Motu Trails are a dream for nature lovers and suitable for first-timers and old hands.

Two men have been charged in relation to a fatal brawl in Opotiki on Sunday, while a further seven people were arrested after disorder in the town yesterday.

Police have named the man killed in Opotiki on Sunday night, and are calling for calm and co-operation after reports of three retaliatory incidents in the town.

Lives could have been lost in a fire caused by mattresses being placed over under-floor heating vents in a school marae, the fire service says.

Danielle Wright discovers a small town with a big history.

Donna McIntyre cycles, horse rides and roams around scenic Opotiki.

The family of an Opotiki man who died while repairing a tractor are devastated at the loss of the well-loved and respected community member.

A 70-year-old man has died after he was caught in a tractor and suffered fatal injuries on the grounds of Opotiki College.

A fisherman who died after being swept down the Motu River has been identified as 41-year-old Benjamin Robert Tekira from Waimana, near Whakatane.

The body of a 41-year-old man was found last night after he was swept away while trying to cross an East Coast river earlier in the day.

The body of a man has been found, hours after he was swept away at the Motu rivermouth near Whakatane today.

The motorcyclist killed in a fatal head-on-crash crash in the Bay of Plenty this morning has been identified as a 21-year-old farmer.

Workers had to literally run for it when the side of a hill came crashing down on to State Highway 2 in the Waioeka Gorge on Saturday afternoon.

A small-town grocery store is a treasure trove of New Zealand history, where century-old shelves hold bygone brands and insights into late-1800s living, writes Jim Eagles.