A crate of plants came with an exotic surprise this afternoon as biodiversity officials discovered a live boa constrictor hiding inside.

Auckland tribes are seeking a co-management deal for the Waitemata and Manukau harbours in upcoming Treaty negotiations.

Crowds are gathering at beaches to watch the tsunami threatening New Zealand, says the coastguard.

Plans to store shipping containers of gunpowder at Auckland's port are a danger to the heart of the city, says an environmental watchdog.

Auckland City Mayor John Banks is telling rugby fans to steer clear of Prime Minister John Key's "party central" on Queens Wharf and party elsewhere in the city.

Auckland's mayors will not commit to funding the 'party central' development without a waterfront masterplan in place.