A house in Whangamata has sold for $3.6 million - believed to be a record price for the summer hot spot.

Two quick-thinking bystanders barricaded a rampaging, axe-wielding man inside a Whangamata bank until police arrived.

Don't let the cold weather keep you from the royal waves.

Whangamata remains the top spot for Kiwi holidaymakers over summer, according to new figures.

It may be renowned for its waves, but Whangamata has other temptations.

A coastguard veteran suffered serious burns and a broken jaw in an explosion on his boat at the weekend.

Police are hoping the good behaviour at this weekend's Beach Hop in Whangamata continues as people head home.

A runabout reported missing off the Coromandel coast may not have logged its return and was probably never in trouble, say police.

In the 1950s, high-profile American surfers and their camera crews broadened their search for the perfect wave beyond their home beaches.

Young people, particularly girls, drinking excessively and putting themselves at risk are concerning police.

Liquor bans are in place and police numbers are being boosted in many of the traditional New Year's Eve hot spots.

Police have told parents to keep track of their children after finding a girl, 14, having allegedly drug-fuelled sex near a beach overnight.