New Zealand's new Prime Minister is a former farmer and literature student from smalltown Southland who once described himself as "specialising in being boring".

Police asked motorists to be patient, "drive with extreme caution", reduce their speeds and avoid non-urgent travel.

Opetaia Siale won't be spending Christmas at home - he'll be cleaning Wellington's public toilets while his family forgo presents so they can afford a Christmas meal.

The earthquake-stricken Reading Cinema carpark building in central Wellington will be demolished.

Wellington City Council's recovery manager officially has the power to make building owners share the results of their building inspections with the council.

Parts of the North Island are expected to hit 30 degrees today, with Hawke's Bay getting the biggest dose of the sun's rays.

A bitter run of tyre slashing near Wellington Airport could lead to rule changes for on-street parking.

Three groups of recreational divers face prosecution after being nabbed with almost 400 illegally caught paua in the Wellington region over the weekend.

Police have increased their patrols around Upper Hutt schools following reports of men trying to lure children away - with one man offering a child Pokemon cards to follow him.

People across New Zealand have been basking in today's sunshine as the first weekend of summer did not disappoint.

National MP Paul Foster-Bell has spoken out for the first time about his sexuality in response to Brian Tamaki linking homosexuality to earthquakes.

Suzanne Aubert was an inspirational figure in New Zealand history.

Owners of a top Wellington restaurant could be left tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket from last month's earthquake.

Lower Hutt shoppers won't be vying for a car park at Queensgate or the CBD this Christmas season, thanks to a free weekend shuttle service.

A teenager is in a critical condition after the car he was driving went through a train track barrier and crashed down a bank in Wellington.

An 80-year-old Wellington man pretended to be a police officer while telling a woman off about her clothing.

Three Head Hunters gang members are facing charges for allegedly selling methamphetamine in Wairarapa.

Thirty classic cars are up for grabs this weekend, in a major sale of a private collection.

Wellington's Michael Preston has had his conviction and sentence of life imprisonment upheld by the Court of Appeal.

A former Labour member spurned for being "right wing" by Labour leader Andrew Little has signed up with National.

A mother of two who defrauded a university of almost $500,000 has been granted home detention.

A Wairarapa woman who died of injuries suffered while trying to rescue her cat from a cabbage tree had been stuck in its branches for up to two hours.

Part of a mall now at risk of a collapse after last month's tremors is coming down today.

A major crash has blocked a major route across the Wellington region this morning.

Tourism will weather last month's magnitude 7.8 quake, but Treasury is warning the total cost of the disaster could reach up to $3 billion.

Information centre will help people and businesses recover after the November 14 quake.

There are now four buildings at Wellington's CentrePort which could be demolished following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

A Wellington mother is furious her son was disqualified from running barefoot from an inter-school event but a local sporting body says it agrees with the school's decision.

Wellington Police have arrested seven people over a city-based methamphetamine dealing syndicate.

A drunk driver who crashed his car into another then tried to pee in a public garden while police were speaking to him.