Kittiya Nuandee was sleeping on a mattress on the bedroom floor next to a 10-year-old girl when a stranger came into the room and lay down between them.

Residents living in Waihopai Valley, where a forest fire is raging, have been warned; if there is a change in weather they may have to evacuate their homes.

Already stretched firefighters have been battling a second blaze in Marlborough today - but the smaller forest fire has been brought under control.

Firefighters are continuing to fight a major blaze in Marlborough as hot weather and strong winds add to their concerns.

Firefighters battling a large blaze in Marlborough are trying to make the most of a calm period before high winds whip through the area.

Peter Jackson uses his creative genius to tell aviation stories.

World-famous for its vines, Marlborough is now getting a reputation for craft beer.

A fruit distillery provides an alternative to Marlborough's usual wine tours.

A boat issued a Mayday call after this afternoon after one man broke his leg and the boat began taking on water.

Heavy rain is forecast to sweep the South Island this morning as most centres settle in for a drizzly day.

An earthquake close to a small Alpine village in the Awatere Valley has been felt in Nelson, Marlborough and Christchurch this morning.

In light of findings by speed cameras, police in Marlborough will be targeting drivers in an effort to convince people that they must slow down around schools.

Three boats were seized and three men arrested after police found a 25kg cannabis stash on a yacht in Waikawa Bay in the Marlborough Sounds.

Daniel and Adele Le Brun give their tips on what to do when you're in their neighbourhood.

Alexia Santamaria goes right to the source, delving into Marlborough's foodie secrets.

A highway patrol officer who drove a police car that hit another car on State Highway 1 will be charged with careless driving.

A German tramper has been found following a search involving three ground teams yesterday.

A man caught driving at speeds up to 171km/h on Wednesday was stopped by police again yesterday.

The Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, is expected to declare South Canterbury and North Otago drought areas when he visits the rapidly depleting Opuha Dam, near Fairlie, today.

A search and rescue operation has been launched for tramper missing in Marlborough.

The firefighting pilot who escaped a helicopter crash unscathed says he's happy nobody was hurt and doesn't think mechanical failure or pilot error caused the crash.

The firefighting pilot who escaped a helicopter crash unscathed says he's happy nobody was hurt and doesn't think mechanical failure or pilot error caused the crash.

A fire that started in Marlborough overnight continued to rage today. Homes have been threatened from the fire blazing through 150ha of scrub near Onamalutu.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling large scrub blazes as dry weather has created tinderbox conditions across the country, the Fire Service says. Blazes in Canterbury, Marlborough and Manawatu are keeping about 330 firefighters busy.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling large scrub blazes as dry weather has created tinderbox conditions across the country, the Fire Service says.

A 47-year-old helicopter pilot made a lucky escape after his machine crashed while battling a blaze which was raging out of control in Marlborough today.