A large slip has blocked SH3 in North Taranaki, flooding and slips have closed roads in Wellington and hampered the capital's World War I centenary events.

A Tauranga man has told of being forced to abandon a stricken yacht at sea after plucking its sailor to safety in a dramatic night-time rescue from dangerous seas.

After farming sheep, cattle and goats and filling many roles on national bodies rural Whanganui man Jeremy Austin is looking to become

A series of tweets and shares helped co-ordinate an operation to get a small island in the Hauraki Gulf for a ranger who needed to get to his grandmother's funeral.

Significant decrease in recreational boating deaths shows targeted safety campaigns are working, says Government.

Saving lives can sometimes mean putting your own life at risk - something Coastguard volunteers are more than happy to do.

The Coastguard is issuing a reminder to all boaties to carry out maintenance and safety checks after ten different boats called for assistance.

Nearly 40 years ago Iain Gulliford picked up his skipper's ticket and was able to fulfil his childhood dreams.

A state-of-the-art $2.5 million vessel is set to make a marked difference in the way water rescues are carried out.

A man was rescued off the Northland coast overnight after a yacht struck rocks and sank.

Police are still looking for a boat which was swamped while crossing the Manukau Bar in Auckland this afternoon, causing the deaths of two people.

Up to $10,000 of taxpayers' money was spent on a rescue in Northland over the weekend for a group of Aucklanders "who were not in real danger", police say.

Labour Weekend marks the enforcement of a new bylaw making it compulsory to wear a lifejacket when on board a vessel 6m or under in length, unless the skipper of that vessel gives you permission not to.

Passengers on a dolphin-watching cruise remained calm as they waited to be rescued from a charter vessel that started taking on water north of Auckland this afternoon.

Two people have suffered mild smoke inhalation but are otherwise lucky to walk away after the boat they were on caught fire near Waiheke Island

A boat which caught fire off Waiheke Island this morning has been towed back to Auckland.

A 49-year-old boatie believed to be dead after falling off a boat at the mouth of the Hutt River has been identified as Uikilifi Peniamina.

The search for the body of a 49-year-old Wellington boatie is focused on the eastern coast of Wellington Harbour.

A search has resumed for a man who fell off a boat in Wellington Harbour yesterday afternoon.

A Cobden man who evaded police by jumping into the Grey River after midnight on New Year's Day may face a hefty bill for his "crazy and diabolical actions".