Some residents are now being allowed through the fire cordon 17km from Lake Ohau.

Residents readied to picked over what remains after up to 40 homes destroyed or damaged.

Retired farmland and rampant wilding pines make a "huge" stockpile of fire-ready fuel.

The blaze has chewed through an area of around 1608ha Fire and Emergency NZ says.

'It was pretty dramatic,' says family who had camped about 5km across the lake.

'In places with snow and forecasted southwesterlies it will get pretty heinous.'

The fire has ripped through more than 3000ha of mostly wilding pines near Twizel.

Efforts continue to contain massive blaze alongside Lake Pukaki.

Fourteen helicopters, two fixed-wing aeroplanes, and 10 appliances are on the ground.

Trevor Shadbolt, 60, was the sole occupant of the microlight.

Jacinda Ardern says wait til MBIE has done its audit.

Drop in tourism has put 170 jobs on the line at Mt Cook's Hermitage Hotel.

Coronavirus throws school winter sports in doubt.

$30 million was up for grabs in the Lotto draw but Powerball rolled over.

A foreign investor's buy-up of sensitive land breached the Overseas Investment Act.

"It would have been pretty hard for a local to have kept it real quiet ..."

The lucky Lotto winner has been tracked down.

Eighteen days have passed since the prize was won but no one has claimed it yet.

You can almost hear James Bond Theme playing - it's time to track down a millionaire.

The massive Powerball First Division numbers were struck on December 28, 16 days ago.

Only 2 per cent of winners don't claim their prizes, so it's likely they'll come forward.

Lotto urges people who bought tickets at Twizel's The Market Store to check their tickets.

A lucky Lotto punter in the City of Sails has won $1 million tonight.

Canterbury customers have been checking their Lotto tickets with a touch of apprehension.

Eliza-Jayne Coetzee, 13, died after falling from a horse in Omarama.

At -25.6C, New Zealand's coldest day, in 1903, caused frostbite and burst bottles.

The long weekend road toll his risen to three after a fatal crash in Canterbury.

"It's crazy how freak accidents can just happen": Friend of dead Twizel farm worker.

Whanganui rowers frank their rep selection form by helping North beat South over Easter.