Gruesome images of the mangled bike on which an Auckland man died under a truck will be followed by an advertising campaign designed to "humanise" cyclists.

When Dr Benjamin O'Brien invented technology that gave artificial muscle devices lifelike reflexes, he unlocked a world of endless possibilities.

Apartments could be the answer for financially strapped Aucklanders trying to get into the property market as the number of apartment building projects soars.

"A hippopotamus would be faster." Auckland Transport is being accused of dragging the chain in its provision of facilities to make cycling safer.

A $6 million Remuera penthouse could break records as the country's most expensive apartment sale.

Cycling campaigners fear more deaths or injuries in downtown Auckland unless an off-road bikeway being built through Grafton Gully is extended to the waterfront.

"I've heard of other cats taking socks, but he is prolific." Like a real-life Slinky Malinki, Oscar the cat sneaks out each night to steal from his neighbours.

His 12-year tenure as the mayor of New York City has just expired, but 71-year-old billionaire Michael Bloomberg is escaping to New Zealand with longtime girlfriend Diana Taylor.

A blockade at the entrance to Hole in the Rock is being considered as part of a long-running row over money and mana.

Pre-school teacher Nicola Fahey is one of just 0.5 per cent chosen from the original pool of people who put their hands up for a one-way ticket.

The US Coast Guard has sent a heavy polar ice breaker to assist a trapped Russian research ship - and the vessel that attempted a rescue and got stuck in ice itself.

It's a frightening figure - 11 per cent of early deaths in NZ are due to poor nutrition and obesity. So what can be done to reverse the trend?

Last year was New Zealand's second warmest on record and more above-average temperatures are in store this year, says climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger.

Andrew Alderson looks at four ideas to complement a winning formula for the 2015 World Cup.

Hayley Westenra didn't let the rain dampen her big day as she walked down a rose petal trail towards her husband-to-be.

Kim Abraham waited 52 years to call someone Dad. It felt strange at first - now it's the most natural thing in the world, the Perth-based Kiwi says.

Lorde has confessed she has been hurt by social media barbs about her and boyfriend James Lowe, but a man singled out for criticism says she needs to "harden up" and not take it personally.

Not too long ago in Whangamata, locals near the beach might have peered out their kitchen window and seen a little girl walking down the street, lugging a surfboard twice her size.

The Christmas holiday break is a great time to take stock, regroup and think about the shape of your business for the year ahead. Tax risk management should form a part of those reflections.

A 9-year-old Papamoa girl who dragged a young boy from the surf has shrugged off her hero status and says she was just doing what she has been trained to do.

Ill-prepared families are dumping elderly relatives at hospitals before going on their holidays in a practice known as "granny dumping".

Health officials' delays in creating rules for the new legal high market are a bonanza for approved dealers of now-lawful drugs.

Indy was given to the SPCA after her previous owners moved from a country property to a small central home where there was not enough room for her to play.

The strange debate this year about whether Dan Carter should give way to Aaron Cruden in the All Blacks led Paul Lewis to compile a XV of those either pensioned off too early or who left the stage before time.

Herald on Sunday photographers Doug Sherring and Michael Craig documented moments of joy, grief and high drama in 2013. These are some of their favourite pictures from the year.

Lying flat on the dirt in a Namibian desert, Stephen Belcher was just 30m away from a hunting leopard.

Cado is a playful puppy, full of life and energy and always smiling. He came to the SPCA in mid-2013 and is hoping to have an owner by the time 2014 rolls in.