A toddler has been reunited with its caregiver after it was inside a car stolen in the Bay of Plenty.

The eruption on the volcanic island appears to have deposited material over north side of the crater floor.

An inquest into the forestry death of 19-year-old Eramiha Pairama has begun at Te Uru Taumatua in Taneatua.

Waikato police are investigating how the caravan 54-year-old Lydia Kiri was travelling in caught fire while driving along State Highway 24 near Te Poi.

A former Whakatane man has died in a motorcycle crash while in the middle of a High Court trial where he faced 49 sex offence charges relating to young girls.

In just two weeks Makeda Soper-Wirangi went from working at her local mall to walking in fashion's biggest shows.

Whakatane police pull over driver who was more than eight times the legal limit.

The school attended by a teenage boy who shot himself in a tragic hunting accident will close on Thursday as a mark of respect.

Justine McLeary and her young family enjoy an adventurous weekend in Whakatane.

A Whakatane gang member is upset he has been told by his son's school he can no longer be a parent helper at his son's school camp.

A German couple beaten and robbed in their tent in Whakatane early this morning have received an "overwhelming'' number of offers of help.

A 27-year old woman will appear in the Whakatane District Court today facing charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after a man was stabbed in Whakatane last night.