A beach trip is sometimes best mid-winter. Tim Roxborogh goes in search of the sun.

A Tauranga mother whose 2-year-old was hospitalised with the flu is warning others to get vaccinated - especially those with respiratory illness.

Man appeared in Tauranga Court charged with the murder of three-month-old baby Richard Uddin.

River, the puppy saved by a Bay primary school student last year, has settled in with her rescuer's family and grown into a lovable, large dog.

A Mount father says his family has been through a "weekend from hell" after his son suffered a serious neck injury in a secondary school rugby game.

A man was shot with a rifle in Tauranga last night, police are seeking more information. The mans injuries are not life threatening.

A new proposed funding scheme for schools and teachers has been likened to 90s bulk-funding and has already received criticism by both the secondary and primary school unions.

A former teacher has admitted molesting two of his male students at Mount Maunganui College in the 1970s and into 1980.

Race Relations Commission Dame Susan Devoy says NZ needs to take on more refugees to show it is deserving of a seat at the UN Security Council.

Traffic delays likely after crash.

Brazen thieves have been targeting avocado growers in the district, with up to a dozen theft complaints to Western Bay police in the past six weeks.

The Bay of Plenty parents accused of causing the death of their 8-month-old baby boy will defend the allegation at a jury trial.

Emergency services are responding to a gas leak in central Tauranga.

Kiwi lifesaving champ branded gutless by father of little girl hit by flying tub of KFC coleslaw.

A dispute between a Tauranga builder and the Ministry of Education over school weathertightness issues tipped the builder into liquidation, an official report says.

A new political party has formed and is vying for the older vote.

Charity officials have been left stunned by the efforts of this Tauranga beauty queen.

Three fire trucks and ambulance staff are at the scene, on Cumberland Crescent in Welcome Bay.

The investment of $53.5m in schools in Tauranga, Hamilton and Hawkes Bay is part of the Budget 2016.

Irene More was born on the fifth day of June, 1916.

A recent survey of Bay of Plenty residents carried out by Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller found a majority were in favour of a law change.

Auckland's effect on the property market is pushing first home buyers in the regions to the limit as they buy homes without first setting foot inside.

Five councils - Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Queenstown and Christchurch - will be affected by new policy released by the Government this afternoon.

A Tauranga father is vowing to fight on after his son's heart was taken without his consent.

EXCLUSIVE: The parents of a New Zealander grabbed by a crocodile in Australia have spoken of their pain as authorities continue to search for the missing woman.