Phones have been ringing off the hook and international news agencies have picked up the story of the frustrated Frenchman passing through Punakaiki.

A house fire in Franklin St yesterday afternoon, caused by a faulty washing machine, would have been far worse were it not for working smoke alarms.

A Government-initiated study has recommended fuller investigation "to clarify once and for all" if the Haast to Hollyford Road is viable.

Frustrated Frenchman who made international headlines after being stranded in Punakaiki for four days has left vastly different impressions on his travels.

The French hitchhiker stuck for four days at a tiny West Coast town says he will hitch a lift to his next court appearance.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy today released a detailed report on the Coast's economy.

Steven Joyce and Nathan Guy release detailed report which outlines significant potential to attract new investment on West Coast.

A French hitchhiker who spent four days trying to get a lift out of the West Coast without success plead guilty to damaging road signs.

A Frenchman whose attempts to hitch-hike out of the West Coast landed him in court says New Zealand should be renamed "Nazi Zealand". Cedric

Nine years after Westpower first proposed a hydro-electricity scheme on the Waitaha River, the Department of Conservation said it had given approval in principle.

Police have found a body within the scene of the commercial premises destroyed by fire last night at Franz Josef.

State Highway 6 between Punakaiki and Fox River reopened today following a mammoth clean-up operation.

Three people have been rescued from a car which went over a cliff south of Westport.

Police have found a body in a workshop flattened by a bulldozer and torched by its owner last night.

The huge slip near Meybille Bay, south of Westport, is proving a cloud with a silver lining for Punakaiki.

A fresh rock fall this morning to the north of Sunday's slip near Punakaiki ended chances of the road reopening today. About 200

A West Coast woman convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old boy and jailed for three years can now be named.

Kim Knight felt the fear (and then walked it off) on a six-hour side-trip to Hokitika.

Charges stem from an incident involving two people who were collecting pounamu from the bed of the Arahura River, near man's home at Milltown.

The sale of Holcim's Buller assets has created "massive" interest from prospective buyers, says the company handling the sale process.

Daniel Scheepers appeared in the Greymouth District Court yesterday charged with contravening the Minerals Act.

'Women in the North Island are more cut-throat, more competitive,' says reality TV star during visit down south.

A DoC programme to boost numbers of the world's rarest kiwi has been so successful they are now running out of room in the forest.

Beekeeper charged with bringing cocaine into Australia has applied to go to detention centre if he gets bail.

Development West Coast doubled its business loans in the past year to $14.4 million.

Police on lookout for cheeky criminals who took DIY to the next level .

A cyclist has died following an accident on State Highway 6 near Aratuna early this morning.

A farmer who claims that locals are trying to drive him out of his small West Coast community is now facing a threatening to kill charge.

The Fox Glacier School roll has fallen to five, its lowest number in over 20 years when the village school was briefly closed.

Two rental cars were broken into and $25,000 worth of cash and property stolen at Hokitika Gorge on Saturday.