An 8-year-old girl lost her mother and was seriously injured when a freight train hit the family's ute, flinging it 20 metres.

Christchurch's Boxing Day aftershocks and the recent wet weather have seen more than 1000 claims lodged with the Earthquake Commission.

You'll be surprised what's behind them, writes Chris Samsara.

Taranaki town is so bard it's brilliant, writes Chris Samsara.

A Taranaki businessman's proposal to give away a historic 10-bedroom lodge on the slopes of Mt Taranaki has drawn almost 300 submissions from New Zealand and overseas.