Two Christchurch women were rescued by helicopter from Arthur's Pass National Park today.

A hunting trip turned to tragedy when a group tried to raft out of a remote part of Eastern Bay of Plenty on a swollen river.

Heavy rain has left Gisborne virtually cut off, with surface flooding closing roads and forcing the evacuation of homes.

Heavy rain is lashing the North Island's East Coast, leaving dozens of homes without power and closing rural schools and roads.

Schools have closed, houses are without power and homes have been evacuated as rain continues to lash the Gisborne region.

Around 800 people fairwelled Sir Archie Taiaroa today before his casket was taken down the Whanganui River to his final resting place.

Tests revealing faultlines along the proposed route of a hydro-electric tunnel on Canterbury's Waitaki River have sparked a redesign of the power project.

Rain has worsened flooding on a Canterbury farm where a river has forked along an earthquake fault line, cutting through the property.

Environment Waikato is worried about the danger of rapidly rising streams and rivers in the next few days.

Take me to the river.

The first man to walk the entire length of the Amazon river put his NZ-made backpacks through some serious paces.

The Green Party is hoping its new "save the wild rivers" campaign will yield similar results to the anti-mining movement.

A jetboat driver has been fined and ordered to pay reparation to the family of a British tourist killed in a river boat crash in December 2008.