Contractors have today started digging up the site of the Canterbury Television building as part of the ongoing police probe to see if anyone is criminally liable for the disaster.

A Christchurch man carrying a gun down the street in the middle of the day sparked a panic for a concerned witness.

One of New Zealand's best known movie locations is up for grabs for a cool $10 million.

White-out conditions at Mt Ruapehu have forced the evacuation of dozens of people from the slopes today.

Fire has destroyed a farming dealership in Invercargill overnight, where crews faced both roaring heat and freezing weather to save surrounding businesses.

Queenstown firefighters have put out the flames at a house which caught alight in the early hours of this morning.

Five people had to be treated for smoke inhalation after a pot being used to sterilise baby bottles was left on the stove.

Elisabeth Easther explores a piece of paradise, at the top of the South Island.

Karamea School students got a lesson on the power of nature today, after lightning struck the school during lunchtime.

A three year investigation into Christchurch's water supply has found local authorities do not know how much water will be needed as the city grows.

Japanese students lost their lives during the 2011 earthquake. Cherry blossom trees will be planted in the Botanic Gardens to honour their memory.

Capturing the experiences and impacts of the 1981 Springbok tour on 'ordinary' Kiwis, rather than protesters, is the focus of new research.

There has been a serious house fire near Christchurch this afternoon, but no one is hurt.

The unusual warmth that dominated our climate last summer has had alarmingly apparent impacts on the South Island's postcard glaciers and mountain snowlines.

Large areas of black ice causes road chaos across the South Island.

Fire safety officers investigating the cause of a large fire in a two-storey block of flats in Christchurch this morning.

For a double Olympic medallist and world champion, Marc Ryan is a humble chap.

Welcome to "the circus", also known as the world's steepest street.

Armed police have raided a house in North Canterbury this morning, suspected to be linked to illegal drugs.

A woman who drove her child to school while six times over the drink-driving limit has been sentenced to supervision and community work.

Geonet is reporting a strong magnitude 5 quake 45km northwest of Haast as striking about 7.45am, at a depth of 12km.

Wild weather yesterday aggravated coastal erosion at Cobden, with the car park at Jellyman Park now closed as a precaution due to the encroaching sea.

Police remain tight-lipped on whether they have made progress in finding the person responsible for a bomb scare at Queenstown Airport yesterday.

An ambulance is rushing to the scene of a three car crash outside Christchurch this morning, with reports of a person being trapped.

A driver had to be freed from his vehicle after a car vs bus crash outside a Dunedin supermarket this evening.

A Dunedin street has become an unlikely tourist attraction, after people have shared photos on social media of a bizarre optical illusion.

Police are still searching for the person responsible for writing the note that mentioned a bomb onboard a Qantas flight that landed in Queenstown.

Gloriavale, the closed Christian community on the South Island's West Coast holds a strange fascination for many of us.

A light earthquake rattled Canterbury shortly after midnight on Sunday morning.

West Coast club rugby was mired in claims of racial abuse in the lead-up to today's grand final - but today's big match was played out without incident.