Cathy Cooke's experience hasn't made her bitter about adventure tourism - just angry about safety standards.

A Nelson surfer suffered a deep puncture wound to his hand while wrestling a 2m shark during the weekend.

Maritime New Zealand has launched an inquiry into the Fullers GreatSights Bay of Islands vessel Excitor III after several passengers were injured, including one woman who had to spend 12 weeks in a body brace.

New images have emerged of the rip that a Piha surfing instructor took a group of teenagers into on Monday, sparking criticism from surf lifesavers at the west Auckland beach.

A body has been pulled from the water after a light plane crashed into the ocean near Orewa Beach, north of Auckland. Pieces of the wreckage are washing up on the beach.

A pregnant New Zealander living near a nuclear power plant in quake-stricken Japan has managed to flee to safety.

An increase in the number of farmers failing significantly to meet effluent rules is unacceptable, says Fonterra. Significant non-compliance increased by 1 per cent to 16 per cent for the 2009/10 season.

The national drowning toll for the first two months of the year rose to 35, after 15 drownings in February.

Thirty-five jobs may be up for the chop but affected staff are being consulted before any decisions, Niwa says.