A soldier who died after falling into a Waiouru lake during a training exercise should have been able to release a 20kg gun easily, the former Chief of Army says.

Kayakers faced dangerous rapids and near-freezing water to clean the Waihohonu Stream of debris spilled from a fatal truck crash earlier this month.

The driver who died when his truck crashed into the Waihohonu Stream on the Desert Rd stream early yesterday has been named.

The body of a truck driver killed in a crash this morning on the Desert Road has been found.

The family of Private Michael Ross say they are relieved the soldier's body has been found, a week after he fell into a lake near Waiouru.

Hopes are fading that a soldier missing in a lake near Waiouru will be found alive, Inspector Steve Mastrovich says.

A New Zealand man who flew back from Australia voluntarily to face charges of stealing more than 800 medals from Waiouru Army Museum over a seven-year period in a "devastating theft" made a brief appearance in court today.

The central North Island has been shaken by an earthquake this morning.

One person is dead after a truck and trailer unit rolled north of Waiouru in the central North Island late last night.

An army major who collapsed and died during a rehearsal for an official ceremony at Trentham will be buried today with full military honours.

The two teens accused of a brutal machete attack on a police officer are to be charged with attempted murder.

A police officer injured in a brutal machete attack needs more hospital treatment for his facial and head injuries.

Police officer Bruce Mellor, who was viciously attacked with a machete at the weekend, is steadily improving.

The country's top military leader has publicly apologised to the family of an airman killed when an old artillery round unexpectedly exploded.