Motorists heading out of Wellington face a nightmare two-hour gridlock north of the capital.

Don't let the morning cloud fool you - it is set to be a fine Boxing Day for New Zealanders, with Central Otago tipped as the best place to be.

A man has been airlifted to Wellington Hospital after a violent Christmas fight between a father and son.

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.

Quake-affected businesses in Wellington and Hurunui have been given a boost with the announcement that support subsidies will be extended.

Being in charge of the population of a small town is "a dream come true".

A crash that closed the Terrace Tunnel in Wellington has been cleared and the tunnel has re-opened, NZTA Wellington said.

A truck used to destroy sensitive documents catches fire outside the Treasury building in Wellington this morning.

Father and daughter bears Sean and Sasa tucked into their usual meal at Wellington Zoo today, but with a Christmas twist. The sun

Traffic has already slowed to a crawl in parts of the country as holidaymakers head out of town for Christmas.

​A person has died from a heart attack while in Christmas traffic near Wellington.

A man has died from a heart attack while in Christmas traffic near Wellington.

An overhead traffic light pole that crashed into the middle of a busy intersection may have been suffering from earthquake stress.

Preparations are under way to tear down carpark building damaged in Wellington quake.

Photographer says people opposed to gender diversity need to 'get over it'.

What will the weather be doing on Sunday for Christmas?

The Porirua community is rallying around their local Santa after his sack was stolen just weeks before Christmas.

The Wellington City Council is writing to the owners of 80 buildings affected by last month's monster quake, telling them they need targeted engineering assessments.

Geonet say there is a 98 per cent chance of an aftershock of 6 to 6.9 magnitude in the next year.

New Zealand's residential building consents rose for the first month in four in October, boosted by two apartment projects in Wellington.

Police investigating the murder of Upper Hutt woman Lois Tolley say they have spoken to a number of people and made arrests on "unrelated matters".

Dozens of people went topless to beaches in Auckland and Wellington yesterday.

From Hawai'i to Dipton - the new Prime Minister is quickly proving to be from a different mould than the man he succeeded.

Woman whose odd auction on TradeMe reaped $6500, will fly to Miami to have the artwork done - and we reveal what the tattoo will say.

How does it feel to share your birthday with Jesus Christ? Herald reporter Tess Nichol finds out in our Holiday Babies series.

A Wellington kitten had a close shave this morning after becoming trapped in rush-hour traffic.

A Wellington MyLotto player won $5million in Wednesday's Lotto Powerball after his friend joked about sending "good vibes out to the Lotto gods".

A stunning summer's day in Wellington has attracted some aquatic visitors to the coastline, with locals spotting orcas and dolphins.

Brittany Godderidge retrieved clothing and documents from her quake-evacuated Wellington apartment - as well as her 2-year-old goldfish, Sir Swimsalot.