A young man drowned in the Grey River in an attempt to avoid a drink-driving conviction, Coroner Richard McElrea has told an inquest.

Skydive NZ's John Kerr says he's "absolutely devastated and numbed" by the Fox Glacier crash that claimed the lives of more than a third of his staff.

Transport accident investigators are confident they will find "most, if not all", of the reasons for the Fox Glacier plane crash, despite fire causing massive damage to the aircraft.

The deaths of five local men and four overseas tourists makes it one of New Zealand's deadliest plane crashes.

Kyle Scott and Liz Blatch still had their wedding at Darfield's Oak historic homestead only hours after the 7.1 earthquake.

A fiery plane crash that killed nine people in Fox Glacier today happened just metres from the town's chief fire officer's house.

Better an utter, total if humiliating backdown than a messy compromise that keeps the mining issue alive into election year.

A West Coast village is up for sale for $1m

Hiking to a retracting ice river's face can be inspiring and nerve-racking.