“Big cities are rushed and anonymous, small towns are more personable, and it’s slower and quieter.”Morrissey-Butler said the Hokianga epitomised everything special about the Far North and had “the best authentic Kiwi experiences”. For Rāwene resident Erina Williams, the simplicity of summers in the small town is unforgettable. Rāwene resident Erina Williams says the town has more to offer now than when she was a child growing up in the town. Part-time Rāwene resident Hayden Cowper says small towns have a lot to offer. Photo / Yolisa TswanyaCowper said visitors heading to other small towns like Ōpononi often drifted through.

A ship fires a weapon during drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army. That particular drill is designed to move troops swiftly in case China suddenly turns one of its drills around the island into an attack. Taiwan rejects China's claimed sovereignty, maintaining that only its people can decide the island's future. The first poster appeared to show the armada of civilian ships China is mobilising to help in an attack on Taiwan. Beijing regularly calls Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te a "parasite" and began using the cartoon green bug caricature to represent separatist forces during April's war games.

He was taken to Dunedin Hospital with a potentially broken or dislocated shoulder, Snr Sgt Bond said. Police took a blood sample from the man and are awaiting the results, Snr Sgt Bond said. On Saturday at 8.40am, a 23-year-old man crashed his car in Wilkie Rd, South Dunedin after falling asleep at the wheel mid-drive. After dozing off, he crashed into a parked car, Snr Sgt Bond said. Snr Sgt Bond said to always make sure you were well-rested before driving — even for a short trip.

Sarah Jayne Curd captured the rare moment near Bare Island during stormy weather at the popular Hawke's Bay beach. Video / Sarah Jayne CurdAlready a subscriber? Holidaymakers at a Hawke’s Bay beach watched on in awe as a waterspout formed in stormy conditions off the shore in front of them. Waimārama resident Sarah Curd said she took a video of the waterspout forming on the water between Waimārama Beach and Te Motu-o-Kura/Bare Island around 8.30am today. Curd and her family were alerted to the waterspout by their neighbour at the beach and ran down to the beach in their pyjamas.

Wellington Police are trying to find Ella, who has not been seen since Saturday, December 27. Wellington police search for missing person last seen on SaturdayWellington Police are trying to find Ella, who has not been seen since Saturday, December 27. Ella was last seen wearing grey pants, a pink shirt and slide-on slippers, police said. She is believed to be in Johnsonville or the wider Wellington City area. If you have seen Ella, or have any information on her whereabouts, please contact police via 105 and reference the file number 251227/3635.

The Coromandel Peninsula remains under an orange heavy rain warning until 6pm today, while Gisborne/Tairāwhiti is under the warning until 3am tomorrow. Bay of Plenty, about and east of Rotorua and Hawke’s Bay, are also under an orange heavy rain warning until the early hours of tomorrow. An orange strong wind warning, which signals the threat of winds gusting up 120km/h, is also in place for several regions. Waikato, Waitomo, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupō, Tongariro National Park and Taihape are also under an orange strong wind warning until 9pm tonight. Bay of Plenty west of Rotorua, the Tararua District, Wairarapa and the Kaikōura Coast are under a heavy rain watch.

A Dunedin flat erupted into chaos after a man was allegedly assaulted by his flatmate due to the household dog behaving out of character. The two flatmates, aged 62 and 66, live together at a property in North Rd, North East Valley, with the younger man’s dog, Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said. At 9.30pm on Friday, the younger man noticed his dog was acting "withdrawn and scared" all of a sudden. He went to his flatmate to ask him whether he had done anything to the dog, and the conversation quickly deteriorated. He then told his flatmate that if he called police, he would kill him, Snr Sgt Bond said.

Chairperson of the ministerial advisory group on organised crime, Steve Symon. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Nick MonroThe chairperson of a ministerial advisory group on organised crime says he won't be satisfied until he sees the government commit resources to tackling the issue of organised crime. "It's quite a frightening picture, because organised crime is affecting all New Zealanders, whether we necessarily recognise it or not." He said Pacific criminal organised groups were starting to take hold in the region, infiltrating and corrupting law enforcement agencies. "The key thing I think we need to recognise is that organised crime is a business that will do anything it can to make a profit.

Photo: RNZThe Automobile Association believes a proposed merger between two fuel companies should drive down pump prices. NPD and Gull want to combine sites, teams and supply chains to form what they say would be the largest independent, majority New Zealand-owned fuel company. In a joint statement, NPD and Gull said each of their combined 240 sites would retain their distinctive brand. When Gull first arrived with that model in New Zealand it became known as the Gull effect because it dropped the prices and competitors had to match it," he said. "We've been tracking the price of fuel for the last couple of months and we're watching as the international landed prices dropped, the retail prices haven't dropped at the same level," he said.

GoodmanGoodman sold Auckland property for $252.7m on May 29. The PlazaKiwi Property Group sold this Palmerston North shopping centre to Mark Gunton’s New Zealand Retail Property Group which owns Westgate where Costco Wholesale trades from. SilverdaleStride Property sold Auckland’s 39-shop Silverdale Centre to an associate, Investore Property for $114m on September 8. Auckland CBDBei Group sold Auckland properties to Australia’s Quattro Group for $104.6m on July 10. Kiwi Property sold Sylvia Park Lifestyle complex for $90m to Mackersy Property.

Four people have been injured in a two-vehicle crash north of Levin, in the North Island, this morning. Police were called to State Highway 1 at the Waitarere turnoff about 11am. Two people were trapped, but have since been helped out. The road was partially blocked as both vehicles were towed from the area. Detours were in place via Koputaroa Rd or State Highway 57.

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The eruption produced lava fountains reaching up to 400m and a dense ash column, with a new vent opening on the eastern flank of the Voragine Crater that remains active. Photo / Getty ImagesThe eruption produced lava fountains reaching up to 400m and a dense ash column, with a new vent opening on the eastern flank of the Voragine Crater that remains active. Photo / Getty ImagesMount Etna has been gearing up for 2026 with a bang – or, actually, several of them – with days of explosive activity, bringing lava fountains, loud booms and eruption columns that launched dark clouds of ash into the sky. The latest volcanic activity began last Thursday, when monitors detected a change in Etna’s usual signals, including volcanic tremors, changes in the Earth’s surface and infrasonic activity, Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said. The latest volcanic activity intensified, causing ejections of incandescent material above the crater rim, the institute said.

Morning Headlines | Police seek witnesses after K Rd brawl and parts of North Island brace for wild weather | Monday, December 29, 2025Nicola Peltz has shared private photos from her family Christmas gathering as an apparent feud with her Beckham in-laws continues to play out on social media. The 30-year-old actress posted the festive images to Instagram on Boxing Day, writing: “We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year filled with so much love, peace and happiness.”The snaps showed Peltz and husband Brooklyn Beckham wearing matching red pyjamas and posing with her parents, billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Heffner. Several of Peltz’s 3.1 million followers used the comments section to urge the couple to reconcile with the Beckhams. “If your wife was truly supportive of you, she would never allow you to alienate your family,” one commenter wrote.

McCaw’s Mt Harding Farm is cross-sectioned by stockwater races he hasn’t needed for over 10 years, but pays rates for as well as having to fence them off. The farm is home to Drayton’s gate, where water from the Pudding Hill intake meets water from the Methven Auxiliary intake from the Ashburton North Branch. Mt Harding Creek, winding its way from the foothills of Mt Hutt to the Methven township, has been used to connect the stockwater network. McCaw said the decision to partially close the Pudding Hill Intake network, and allow the water to flow down Mt Harding Creek, was a “pragmatic step”. McCaw said Mt Harding Creek is a natural waterway in the “highly modified environment” of the Canterbury plains.