Frustrated French hitchhiker ended up in handcuffs after road signs were hurled into the Punakaiki River and locals were abused.

Former Hokitika woman Michelle Blok picked up an Emmy at the recent 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, in Los Angeles.

Nine years after Westpower first proposed a hydro-electricity scheme on the Waitaha River, the Department of Conservation said it had given approval in principle.

Police have found a body within the scene of the commercial premises destroyed by fire last night at Franz Josef.

State Highway 6 between Punakaiki and Fox River reopened today following a mammoth clean-up operation.

Three people have been rescued from a car which went over a cliff south of Westport.

Police have found a body in a workshop flattened by a bulldozer and torched by its owner last night.

The huge slip near Meybille Bay, south of Westport, is proving a cloud with a silver lining for Punakaiki.

A fresh rock fall this morning to the north of Sunday's slip near Punakaiki ended chances of the road reopening today. About 200

Passengers on both the Tranz Alpine and the visiting Silver Fern railcar faced travel disruptions today after a derailment at Omoto early this morning.

'It frightened the life out of her. She thought the sky had fallen in,' says Westport resident of 87-year-old mother whose house was struck.

Charges stem from an incident involving two people who were collecting pounamu from the bed of the Arahura River, near man's home at Milltown.

The sale of Holcim's Buller assets has created "massive" interest from prospective buyers, says the company handling the sale process.

Daniel Scheepers appeared in the Greymouth District Court yesterday charged with contravening the Minerals Act.

'Women in the North Island are more cut-throat, more competitive,' says reality TV star during visit down south.

A DoC programme to boost numbers of the world's rarest kiwi has been so successful they are now running out of room in the forest.

Beekeeper charged with bringing cocaine into Australia has applied to go to detention centre if he gets bail.

Development West Coast doubled its business loans in the past year to $14.4 million.

A farmer who claims that locals are trying to drive him out of his small West Coast community is now facing a threatening to kill charge.

The Fox Glacier School roll has fallen to five, its lowest number in over 20 years when the village school was briefly closed.

Two rental cars were broken into and $25,000 worth of cash and property stolen at Hokitika Gorge on Saturday.

A young girl raped by a West Coast farm worker who fled to Australia days before his trial fears he will come looking for her once he's served his 10-year jail term.

An injured Brit who spent two freezing nights under ferns in rugged West Coast bush says he survived on just an apple.

Alpine rescuers search near Mount Bovis for the man, dressed only for a day tramp, who has been missing since Saturday.

A search and rescue is underway for a 28-year-old English man who has been missing at Paparoa National Park since Saturday night.

Most financial advisers mention just one KiwiSaver scheme when they give advice.

The pressure is on the Westland District Council from the Environment Court to address non-compliance issues at its Franz Josef Glacier waste water treatment plant.

Challenges facing the dairy industry are taking their toll on farmers, Federated Farmers West Coast provincial president Peter Langford says.

Westland Milk Products has appointed an Australian woman to lead the dairy co-operative's business.

Karamea School students got a lesson on the power of nature today, after lightning struck the school during lunchtime.