A new 4.5km stretch of motorway connecting the southern and southwestern motorways at Manukau has been opened.

A Somali woman was today jailed for nine years for New Zealand's only in-flight aircraft hijacking.

Auckland is gradually weaning itself off car dependency, with a slight increase in commuters opting for public transport.

North Shore commuters will face extra delays driving home from Auckland for three months from this afternoon.

The numbers of overseas visitors coming to New Zealand in July was up four per cent on last year bringing visitor arrivals to record levels.

Port of Tauranga has reported strong rises in forestry-related exports and in imports of grain and dairy food supplements.

Air New Zealand deals with nearly 4000 people in grief a year, some of whom have shared their tales with the Herald.

One lane of the southern link onto the Southern Motorway from the port has been closed after a truck struck an overhead gantry at 3pm today.