An epidemic of methamphetamine is ripping communities apart - but the fightback has begun.

A Northland farmer's first attempt at releasing a song internationally via social media has clocked up a whopping 12 million Facebook views.

The country's most exclusive luxury lodge that features 3km of pristine coastline, four private beaches and many intimate coves opens today.

When John Clarke hits the pavement to train for the ASB Marathon and his muscles begin to burn he feels grateful - the pain means he's still here to feel it.

SUP191016NADKIWI.JPG The dead kiwi is thought to be one of four that lived on Peter Nash's Puketotara Rd property. PHOTO / SUPPLIED by

A_SW241014NADCLASSIC9037.JPG Defending champion boat Team Vodafone will be back under a new alias. Photo/Stephen Western By Andrew

At the birthplace of the nation, Winston Aldworth and his kids encounter our gritty past.

Almost 2000 foreign tourists have experienced the Bay of Islands as the cruise ship season kicked off this week.

A_MC230814NADPITA3.JPG HOT TOPIC: Pita Paraone has called a hui to discuss next year's Waitangi Day commemorations. PHOTO/MICHAEL

Lindy Laird samples the delights of the Bay of Islands.

A_040815HOSSPLDRAGON1.JPG - please run this pic with the story on page 2 Advocate Sat The "it!" Bay of Islands Food & Wine Festival

Olympic gold medal-winners Blair Tuke and Peter Burling will be honoured with a parade through Kerikeri's main street on Friday. The

A former teacher who admitted using his phone to film women in a bathroom and teenage girls in a public changing room has had his teaching registration cancelled.

In New Zealand's original seat of power, Winston Aldworth finds a pub to celebrate.

Winston Aldworth checks into a property with postcard views of prime New Zealand scenery.

A 22-metre long blue whale washed up on a private Far North beach has excited a marine mammal expert but also sparked a health warning as the giant sea creature decomposes.

Police have arrested three young men following a number of burglaries in the Kerikeri region over the past couple of weeks.

The two people who died, Vernon Lawrence-Samuels and Ryan Wikaira, both 23, had been at rugby training before the accident.

Jane Jeffries discovers the places that say 'yes' to dogs.

A Tauranga family has been reunited with their beloved cat 16 months after it went missing.

Firefighters had to lift a car off a man who was thrown halfway out of the driver's window and trapped under the vehicle when it crashed.

Bottlenose dolphins could disappear from the Bay of Islands if nothing is done to halt a decline apparently caused by too much interaction, a report warns.

A financial adviser with clients in the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty has pleaded guilty in the Tauranga District Court to a $1.4 million fraud.

The Eagles Nest spills across 75 acres of a peninsula looking down on the Bay of Islands along the way to Tapeka Pt.

Five walks that highlight the historic significance of Waitangi and nearby areas

Guided trip up Waitangi Estuary is a great introduction to kayaking, says Donna McIntyre.

Going walkabout is a great way to experience the winterless north, says Donna McIntyre.

INCREDIBLE PHOTOS: Woman saves two-metre-long sevengill shark after it became stranded while fleeing hungry orcas.

Another slice of Kiwi coastal paradise could be headed for the open market after the Department of Conservation turned down the chance to buy it.

An upstream river paddle is fun and games on a budget for all the family, writes Rob Cox.