PHOTOS: PHILIP CHANDLEROverlooking Queenstown’s Village Green is a unique tourist attraction that is opening this Saturday. "We just wanted to do some sort of tourist experience, we wanted to create something quite unique," Sharpe says. "You can be in a scene from your dream, basically, in any different room," Donaldson-Sharpe adds. "Our dream job, once the business is running smoothly, would be just focusing purely on the exhibitions and updating things." Sharpe: "We wanted to create something that was in town, but wasn’t crazy-Queenstown expensive."

Photo: Gerard O'BrienFirefighters have quelled a blaze at a fireplace factory in the Dunedin suburb of Green Island. A witness at the scene said at least three fire trucks were at the Escea factory where smoke could be seen escaping from an open door in the inwards goods part of the factory. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said crews from Roslyn, Lookout Point and Dunedin were called to the factory at about 1.24pm after a fire alarm went off in the premises. A second alarm was transmitted and further crews and resources were called to the scene. Crews are still on the scene working to fully extinguish the fire and to ventilate the smoke-logged factory.

President Donald Trump had ordered a short-term suspension of the ban last year to give TikTok time to work out a sale. TikTok said in a statement that TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC has been established and is majority American-owned, with Silver Lake, Oracle and MGX each holding a 15 percent stake. “TikTok USDS Joint Venture’s mandate is to secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm through comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity measures,” the company said. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the TikTok deal, said that China and the U.S. had signed off on it. TikTok has some 200 million U.S. users, the company said Thursday, and the app is particularly popular with younger demographics.

Local rider Conor Macfarlane drops into Queenstown Bike Festival’s slopestyle at Wynyard Jump Park’s Mini Dream last Sunday. PICTURE: JAMES ALLAN PHOTOGRAPHYAlready seven days in, the action-packed Queenstown Bike Festival concludes with a very special McGazza Fest over the next three days. It’s in memory of local mountain bike legend Kelly ‘McGazza’ McGarry who died 10 years ago, on February 1, aged only 33, after suffering a cardiac arrest while riding the Fernhill Loop. McGazza Fest begins tomorrow with McGazza Mega Train, from Skyline at 6pm and finishing at Atlas bar. McGazza Fest concludes Sunday with the McGazza Memorial Ride at 11am up to Kelly McGarry table at the top of the Fernhill loop track where he died — "the idea is to finish the ride he started" — and the popular Gorge Road Jam from 3pm for kids and 5pm for adults.

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The vehicle and its driver remain unaccounted for, despite a police-led operation that is now in its third day. Water levels have subsided overnight, allowing for additional resources to be brought into the area, Waitematā North Police Senior Sergeant Carl Fowlie said. Police and volunteers are on day three of an expanded river and land search for the missing man. Photo / Jason DordayPolice Search and Rescue, along with 17 Land Search and Rescue members, a water rescue crew from Fire and Emergency and a police drone, will be carrying out ground-based and aerial searches along the riverbanks today. A man and his vehicle are missing after being washed away at the crossing on Wednesday morning.

Police are scouring a "large search area" for a shooter who killed three people and injured a fourth in a small town in New South Wales' central west before fleeing in a vehicle. Locals in Lake Cargelligo, about 550km west of Sydney, have been told to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity after the attack on Thursday afternoon. A 32-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were killed when bullets were fired into their vehicle about 4.20pm on Bokhara St, Lake Cargelligo. A short time later, a 50-year-old woman was shot dead at nearby Walker St, and a 19-year-old man was also shot and taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition. "As there has been a number of shootings and the offender has not been detained - please stay indoors until the advice changes."

Photo: Supplied via RNZBy Kate Newton of RNZLa Niña conditions and background climate change trends combined to create the intense rainfall that devastated North Island communities, climate experts say. Photo: Supplied / Earth Sciences New ZealandEarth Sciences New Zealand chief climate scientist Sam Dean said New Zealand's mountainous terrain did not help. "[But] we do believe we are seeing more extreme rainfall events occurring. "The planet has been very warm the last couple of years and it's been a rapid warming... so it's like getting a peek into the future." Warmer air can hold more moisture so you tend to get heavier rainfall... That's the climate change trend."

Tom Phillips died following a shootout with police in September 2025. However, RNZ understands his family was not told until after 7.30am, and the mother was not told until after 8am. "Subsequent announcements confirmed that Tom Phillips had been fatally shot during the incident." RNZ asked police why the documentary crew were informed before relatives, and what the text message said. Rogers said the message informed a member of the documentary crew there had been a critical incident relating to Tom Phillips.

Macandrew Bay cafe The Duck will reopen its doors next Tuesday, with head chef Justin Woodrow now also taking up the role of owner. Mr Woodrow, the cafe’s head chef of about three years, stepped in as owner after now former owner Emma Strybosch last week made the "heartbreaking" decision to close the establishment. Mr Woodrow said the situation meant he and the rest of The Duck’s staff initially lost their jobs. When the opportunity came up to take over the lease, Mr Woodrow jumped at it, he said. Most of the staff were staying on, and he would retain his role of head chef, too.

The historic Skippers Bridge is closed to all vehicles due to the risk that the bridge could fall. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED/STEPHEN JAQUIERYA historic Queenstown bridge is in such a bad state it risks "catastrophic collapse", an engineering report has revealed. Skipper Bridge — which was built in 1901 and is New Zealand’s highest suspension bridge — has been closed to all vehicles, cyclists and motorists until further notice due to the risk of the bridge failing. The bridge links Queenstown to Skippers Valley and the Mount Aurum Recreation Reserve. The cracking could lead to sudden and catastrophic collapse of the bridge, the report said.

Photo: LDR/Matthew RosenbergFailed Southland mayoral candidate Gary Tong says he wasn't behind the 'Tick Tong' campaign stickers plastered across the region during the local election. The former mayor recontested the Southland district mayoralty in October after losing to incumbent Rob Scott in 2022. But as recently as December, "Tick Tong" messaging could still be seen on a council rubbish drum in Riverton, where the former mayor lives. Tong said he found out 500 stickers were created and appeared around the region including Ōtautau and Te Anau. A spokesperson for Southland District Council said council-owned assets, including rubbish bins, were not approved places for election advertising.

New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) and Sky have today announced a strategic partnership that will see the weekday online news show hosted by Ryan Bridge become available on ThreeNow from 26 January and on Three in the second half of the year. The name of the show will also change from Herald NOW to Ryan Bridge TODAY. Hosted by the award-winning broadcaster, Ryan Bridge TODAY streams live from 7am to 9am weekdays on the Herald NOW video channel on nzherald.co.nz, covering breaking news, exclusive interviews, investigative journalism and comprehensive coverage across entertainment, business and politics. In addition to Ryan Bridge TODAY, a new half-hour business show called Herald NOW Business with Garth Bray will air at 6.30am weekdays, launching in the first quarter of 2026. Ryan Bridge TODAY, and later in 2026 Herald NOW Business with Garth Bray, will continue to be available via the NZ Herald homepage on desktop and mobile devices, the NZ Herald app and on YouTube, ensuring people can access premium video news content on their preferred platform.

Daniel Hillier of New Zealand plays his second shot on the 18th hole during day one of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Photo / Getty ImagesDaniel Hillier of New Zealand plays his second shot on the 18th hole during day one of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Photo / Getty ImagesDaniel Hillier had an eagle to continue his strong start to 2026, shooting a two-under 70 to sit five back from leader Francesco Molinari after the first day of the Dubai Desert Classic. The Kiwi trio of Hillier (two-under), Ryan Fox (even) and Kazuma Kobori (even) all sit in the top half of the field of a tournament that features a $15.2 million total prize purse. Both Kobori and Fox had up-and-down rounds mixed with four birdies and four bogeys each to sit in 41st place.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a speech Thursday accused the United States and Israel of stoking the protests as a “cowardly revenge... for the defeat in the 12-Day War”. The group is sanctioned as a terrorist entity by countries including Australia, Canada and the United States, and campaigners have long urged similar moves from the EU and UK. ‘National kill-switch’Giving their first official toll from the protests, Iranian authorities on Wednesday said 3117 people were killed. Iranian authorities reported 3,117 deaths from protests, but rights groups claim the toll is much higher. On Thursday alone, state TV announced over 200 more arrests in provinces including Kermanshah in the west and Isfahan in central Iran.