A woman in her 70s has been flown to hospital after being knocked over by sheep.

Gun-toting home intruders left a man lying on his lawn with a fractured neck in an attack that traumatised the victim and his partner and child, police say.

A 17-year-old's quick reply to police drew plenty of attention of Facebook.

Bad weather and the risk of rockfalls has forced the closure of State Highway 1 south of Kaikoura.

Big swells predicted to surge up the eastern side of New Zealand from Kaikoura to north of Mahia Peninsula

A Gore man has been arrested following an assault on Thursday evening.

The MetService is forecasting rain for much of New Zealand today, perhaps ruining plans for post-party barbecues and sunbathing.

Two people are being flown to hospital after a Southland car crash.

When an Invercargill teen was told she couldn't have a horse, she took matters into her own hands.

The man got separated from his three hunting companions yesterday evening.

Don't let the morning cloud fool you - it is set to be a fine Boxing Day for New Zealanders, with Central Otago tipped as the best place to be.

Three people have been arrested thanks to a group of brave Colac Bay residents who helped police foil a bid to burgle a holiday home.

MP fought off challenge to gain reselection and contest the Clutha-Southland seat.

Christmas Day should be fine but be ready for thunderstorms in the coming days.

The owner of the mysterious object found washed up on a Southland beach has come forward.

There was a record downpour in Auckland, a tornado in Taranaki and "quake lights" above Wellington. Oh, and 2016 was likely also New Zealand's hottest year on record.

Overseas associates of missing man John Beckenridge, who abducted his 11-year-old stepson last year, are working with New Zealand police to track the pair down.

If variety is the spice of life, this week is set to be a lively one.

The day after his Christmas party, driver was still three times over the drink-drive limit.

A former Canterbury primary school principal who groomed a young boy before sexually assaulting him over half a decade was today jailed for more than nine years.

New Zealand's new Prime Minister is a former farmer and literature student from smalltown Southland who once described himself as "specialising in being boring".

COMMENT: We've recently been supported by a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund grant for a project called: What is the Southland accent?

15 year old Palmerston North girl, Sarah Ridsdale wins her first film award. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

One person has died and another has been airlifted to hospital with critical injuries.

At least two more schools have been investigated after complaints about seclusion rooms - including one that was eventually closed.

Clinton Highway in the Clutha District is closed as a result of the crash.

A photo of two "hot" Southern District police officers posing with puppies has garnered hundreds of likes on Facebook.

Police believed someone damaged the windows between 5pm and 8pm and were appealing for help from the community.

Gore's art gallery is the magnet, but other delights abound too, writes Eleanor Ainge Roy.

Government's plan to sell hundreds of state houses to NGOs has hit another hurdle.