What will start out as a cloudy morning for most of the country should clear as the Christmas day wears on, but the odd shower is in store too.

The best spots for enjoying a Christmas hamper outdoors will be in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Central Otago tomorrow.

A woman lost on a track near Wanaka used the last remaining battery on her cellphone to call for help.

Former All Black captain Richie McCaw treated McLaren supercar fans to a guided chopper flight to Minaret Station yesterday. The

Three young children have been treated in hospital for potentially-deadly meningococcal disease.

A man has been injured after the chopper he was in crashed outside Wanaka.

Farming entrepreneur Colin Harvey has put his 6,639-hectare Lake McKay Station up for sale.

A weather balloon with cameras attached has captured a stunning view of Central Otago from the sky.

The young man who died in a fatal crash near Wanaka had just finished school and was about to start a new job.

Hundreds of people in Auckland and Otago are being given preventive antibiotics

A man has died after being thrown from a 4x4 vehicle when it rolled, while an 11-year-old was also injured in separate incident after her motorcycle collided with a car.

Two young tourists had a lucky escape late this afternoon when they were rescued from Lake Wanaka after being swept into the middle of the lake in a plastic dinghy.

Mount Aspiring College's principal says the school will try to continue with business as usual.

From eco tours to distillery visits, there's plenty to fill a holiday here.

Tennessy Weir checks into a lakefront hotel with a beautiful garden.

One of New Zealand's most exclusive properties for sale is a big Wanaka farm going for $25 million.

A Wanaka man has been charged with ill-treating an animal after a cat was shot.

A woman who drove her child to school while six times over the drink-driving limit has been sentenced to supervision and community work.

Nasa has successfully launched a super pressure balloon from Wanaka Airport to conduct near-space scientific investigations.

A much anticipated test flight for a Nasa super pressure balloon at Wanaka Airport has been cancelled today.

A defecating Wanaka burglar has been sentenced to almost two years' jail and ordered to pay$3000 reparation to victims of his New Year crime spree.

The 400m long, 100m high display, created by 800 litres of fuel and about 2km of wiring, will end the airshow at this year's Warbirds Over Wanaka.

A Wanaka woman says she experienced her "worst nightmare'' when her horse was left bloodied and dying after being tied to a tree by a stranger.

New Zealand guest nights rose in November for the 20th month in a row.

A 7-year-old Wanaka boy who is unwanted by the schools in his area is one of dozens of similar cases around the country.

Wanaka family at a loss after school excludes their 7-year-old son and all other schools in the area refuse to take him.

A Wanaka man has been sentenced to six months' community detention for kicking a man's head like he was "taking a place kick in rugby" while the man was on the ground.

An elderly librarian whose vehicle crashed into another librarian's vehicle on a single-lane bridge near Wanaka has been disqualified from driving for six months.

Police senior sergeant Craig Dinnissen said emergency services were called to the scene near Wanaka at 1.10pm.

The Martin Jetpack will get its first NZ public outing as a flying aeronautical wonder during the Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow.