A 20-year-old man broke into a $2m luxury home in Queenstown and hosted an impromptu, seven-day alcohol-fuelled party for his friends.

New Zealand paceman Hamish Bennett is happy to find his way as a change bowler despite being an obvious candidate to open the bowling in one-day international cricket.

A fight during a ride-on lawn mower race at an A&P Show made it the 'best damn show' in years, a sponsor says.

A manager at a Wanaka mower and chainsaw shop saw red when his ride-on lawnmower was shunted by a bigger machine.

A hunter has told of an agonising night spent with the body of a dead friend in the South Island wilderness.

Bay of Plenty look potent enough to end a remarkable drought at the national sevens rugby tournament in Queenstown this weekend.

While you're slumming it this summer, others are living it up.

Liquor bans are in place and police numbers are being boosted in many of the traditional New Year's Eve hot spots.

Auckland Airport handled 3.8 per cent more passengers in November than a year ago, and airports it has invested in experienced even stronger growth.

Three Queenstown paragliding pilots have had their tandem licences suspended after an investigation revealed they took unacceptable risks.

The bodies of two kayakers were found on Lake Wakatipu this morning.

If you want Christmas Day to really be a holiday, book yourself into a restaurant and let the staff do all the work.