It used to take a lot to be a hero - slaying a dragon, swimming to Australia, rescuing a child from a crevasse as deep as the Empire State Building, things like that.

If you've been filling up at the gas station watching your car consume the equivalent of the week's grocery bill - and wishing you could spend the money on something else.

Northland's five New Year Honours recipients provide plenty of inspiration for anyone considering becoming more involved in their community.

Northland's summer beach scene has changed dramatically over the past five years or so.

I am fascinated by a European Court's ruling that obesity is a disability. It is difficult to know whether to condemn it as an excellent example, writes Andrew Bonallack.

We call them slow news days, writes Editor Craig Cooper. Days when quirky stories rise to the top of the daily list that newspapers around the world compile.

Craig Cooper writes: Eight schools. At age six. And it's not uncommon, according to local school principals who are leading local research.