A transgender woman who struck a man over the head with a bottle of sparkling wine has pleaded with a judge not to send her to a men's prison.

Switched on Gardener staff sold a full hydroponic set-up to undercover cops and discussed how to grow marijuana, a court has been told.

A coroner has ruled on the true identity of the cat handler mauled to death by a tiger at a Whangarei wildlife park in 2009.

It took up to 10 shots from a shotgun and rifle to kill a tiger that fatally attacked a handler at Whangarei's Zion Wildlife Park, a coroner's hearing has heard.

An undercover police officer bought marijuana seedlings from a Switched on Gardner employee inside the company's Tauranga shop, a court has been told.

A big-cat handler fatally mauled to death by a tiger did not see a need to lock the animal away while cleaning its enclosure, a coronial inquest has heard.

Switched On Gardener was described as a 'one stop shop' for cannabis growing equipment today, as the trial of five people associated with the gardening chain begins.

A Northland science teacher dismissed after he supported a gay rights protest at the Catholic school is considering legal action.

The brother of Dalu Mncube, who was fatally mauled by a tiger, hopes a coroner's inquest recommends better prevention and protection measures for zookeepers.

Wayne Bracken was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Jack Davis in 2011. But co-accused Neville Dangen, 24 was found not guilty of the same charges.

Whangarei's newest residents - two baby tuatara - will be among the most watched, and talked about, additions to the district ever when they go on public display today.

A young man is lucky to be alive after a vicious knife attack in central Whangarei left him with his throat slashed from one side to the other.

A Northland teacher who was suspended last month after he supported a pro-gay protest at the Catholic College he taught at has lost his job.

The steady life in sales and prices started in the central Auckland suburbs over a year ago and has now spread across the new supercity. But as Bruce Morris reports, it's still tough going out in the provinces.

The provincial towns and cities are well below their 2007 peaks, but there are signs of life south of the Bombays, reports Bruce Morris.