The hierarchical nature and brutal inner workings of a tough New Zealand jail block, including yard fights and sparring have been revealed at a trial today.

Blood was streaming from a Christchurch dairy employee's head after he sustained a bad cut to the nose.

Former Wanaka Lakes Health Centre manager splashed stolen cash on 40th birthday party for himself at exclusive Queenstown golf club.

A witness to a shooting that shattered the Sunday afternoon peace described the surreal scene unfolding before his eyes as almost unbelievable.

A man has admitted stealing a car from a Christchurch drugs rehab centre.

A mother and her two children escaped injury in a house fire in Mosgiel last night by getting out quickly, Mosgiel fire station officer Steve Turnbull said.

A major review of the University of Otago's humanities division could cause academic positions to be axed, the university has confirmed.

Dredging of shipping canal leads to explosive discovery.

A small West Coast community has rallied around the parents of baby Emily Saunders who was swept into a swollen river as the search continues for her body.

A road rage driver who chased a "frightened" woman for 17km after she flashed her lights at him for driving on high beam has pleaded guilty to intimidation today.

Police are investigating a serious assault which took place on the corner of the Octagon and Princes Street in Dunedin at 1.45am on Sunday, June 12.

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a two car collision near Rolleston, on the outskirts of Christchurch where a woman is trapped in a car.

Girls at a Christchurch high school have been told to wear longer skirts because they are distracting for male teachers and students.

Crown-company Otakaro spent $108,000 headhunting internationally for its chief executive, only to choose a locally based man.

Government agencies are being accused of playing "fast and loose" with taxpayer money.

A man whose alcohol addiction had "overwhelmed him" since the death of his wife, fell asleep drunk in the back of the Greymouth District Court

A short, sharp downpour has caused headaches on one central Auckland roadway, as a sub-tropical airflow makes its presence felt.

The man was taken to Dunedin Hospital by St John ambulance in a serious condition.

A large gang fight in Ashburton involving weapons has resulted in police making nine arrests.

A Southland boy has been taken to hospital in serious condition after being burned by hot water.

A man in his 60s who was injured in an electrical accident at a Christchurch fertiliser plant remains in intensive care at Middlemore Hospital.

The toddler who died in a Christchurch stadium carpark was pinned between a van and a low fence.

Jock Davies looks like any other sports-mad Kiwi kid, but behind his youthful grin is courage aplenty.

The driver of a car which crashed, killing himself and a cyclist in Christchurch, wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was believed to have been drinking.

The former rugby player at the centre of the kidnapping of three men and the assault of one in Queenstown in late 2014 has been sentenced to time in jail.

A person was in Dunedin Hospital overnight after they were hit in the head with a baseball bat at the weekend.

All Blacks greeted with a powerful haka by local high schools on their arrival in Dunedin Airport for their last test match against Wales

Two men plucked from Lake Wakatipu after an ill-equipped attempt to go camping on an island are lucky to be alive, Queenstown's harbourmaster says.

A woman has been rescued from the Abel Tasman National Park after becoming unwell during a day walk, police say.