A weak cold front will bring cloud, drizzle and showers to the country over the next few days but should clear in time for New Year celebrations.

What will start out as a cloudy morning for most of the country should clear as the Christmas day wears on, but the odd shower is in store too.

Wet weather today will clear throughout the country making way for a mainly fine Christmas weekend.

Accessible Properties has signed a contract with the Government confirming it will acquire and manage 1140 state homes in Tauranga.

Traffic has already slowed to a crawl in parts of the country as holidaymakers head out of town for Christmas.

Recreational boaties not carrying or wearing life jackets may get on-the-spot $300 fines this summer. Director of Maritime New Zealand

It's the biggest cruise ship to visit and likely the most valuable machine to call at New Zealand.

Police seized $506,000 worth of methamphetamine, four firearms, $128,000 in cash and found a house which had been converted into a cannabis growing operation.

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.

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

An elderly woman who died in a car crash on Friday night has been named by police.

A man came close to drowning before being rescued by members of the public in what has been a dramatic day at the country's beaches.

Police said the crash happened on Anderley Ave in Omokoroa shortly before 7.30pm.

Leading local family law specialist Fiona Mackenzie was awarded a PhD in law from Otago University yesterday, three decades after

The paddle's original owner, Ngai Te Rangi chief Hori Ngatai (1832-1912) PHOTO/ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY141216sp02bop.JPG Alfred

A child playing with a lighter is believed to have started the fire that destroyed a house in Otumoetai yesterday. The fire service

NEW PASTURES: Seven Otumoetai teachers are retiring this year. L-R Doreen Swetman, Larry Dixon, Julie Eagle, Stewart Henderson, Anna

More than $1800 has been raised for a Tauranga family of 10 who lost all their Christmas presents to thieves this week. The Filo

Ongare Point, just north of Katikati is home to a massive community effort to clean up the waterways. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Ongare Point, just north of Katikati is home to a massive community effort to clean up the waterways. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

The summer property season is in full swing in the Bay of Plenty.

BY Kiri GillespieA yacht has become stranded on a sandbank in Tauranga Harbour, near Pilot Bay. Photo/John Borren 121216jb04bop. A

Tauranga's Christmas in the Park event, which was postponed yesterday, has now been cancelled due to strong winds.

Paula Bennett is a handful of votes away from becoming New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister.

A Tauranga airline has been ordered to stop operating because of serious concerns for people's safety.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges has declared his bid for Deputy Prime Minister.

Parts of the North Island are expected to hit 30 degrees today, with Hawke's Bay getting the biggest dose of the sun's rays.

The new headquarters in Mount Maunganui will be a hub for the expanding kiwifruit industry.

For years, thousands of young people have flocked to Mount Maunganui for the New Year's Eve celebration. But not this year. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

For years, thousands of young people have flocked to Mount Maunganui for the New Year’s Eve celebration. But not this year. Made with funding from NZ On Air.