A "distraught" father searched along a Waikato road for hours, before finding his partner's car had gone over a bank, killing her and injuring their two children.

A woman who suffered a suspected spinal injury while playing touch rugby was taken to hospital by rescue helicopter last night.

Danielle Wright follows the tour buses to a sheep and beef farm in Matamata for the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour.

While you're in the 'hood check out some other finds.

A man arrested for stealing a police patrol car over the weekend has admitted he didn't realise what type of vehicle it was - despite its flashing light.

Danielle Wright discovers small-town seaside charms on a weekend away in Raglan.

Boaties were asked to check their vessels are fit for the water and to stay with them when in difficulty, following a rescue on the Waikato River.

Heavy rain and severe gales are set to pound far greater swathes of the country than the thunderstorms which struck over the weekend.

A Waikato farmer has been left counting the cost of Saturday night's wild electrical storm after finding nine cows killed by lightning.

Auckland homes left without power after a violent storm overnight have been reconnected but forecasters have warned more bad weather is on the way.

Stormy weather in the upper half of the North Island has left about 400 homes without power.

Donna McIntyre escapes the city on a campervan holiday.

The driver of a van which collided with a group of cyclists in Waikato this afternoon has told of his shock at the scene of the crash.

Frederick "Rick" Hayward was last seen leaving his Hamilton home in Thames Street about 5pm on Monday night.

Cakes and jelly snakes were hurled from containers as a freight train derailed in the Waikato today, partially blocking State Highway One near Mercer.

A cache of stolen weapons has been discovered in a search of a rural Waikato property overnight.

Waikato is the site of some of our bloodiest historic battles. Dionne Christian takes a look.

Tokoroa's talking poles tell Elisabeth Easther stories.

A 15-year-old Te Aroha girl who had been missing since Sunday has been found safe and well.