Elisabeth Easther speaks to the owner/operator of Paihia Dive Craig Johnston.

The skies are beginning to clear after last night's storm, but the respite may be short-lived, with thunderstorms and more heavy rain forecast for later today.

An incredible 130mm of rain has fallen in the Coromandel Ranges in the past 24 hours.

A 4-year-old girl has been attacked by a dog near Kerikeri

Less than a fortnight before he died in a fiery plane crash in Melbourne, a US tourist wrote about how he was scared of flying.

SUP150217NADguitar1.jpg The stolen guitar is easy to recognise because of the inlaid dragon in the fretboard. PHOTO / SUPPLIED SUP150217NADguitar2.jpgDo

A person has been seriously injured after the car they were in spun out in Russell in the Bay of Islands.

A Pahia real estate agent acquitted of charges relating to dealing methamphetamine says police are still "aggressively pursuing her" and trying to ruin her life.

Tina Trenkner-Meade checks into reasonably-priced digs in a great location.

Waitangi Day will be another cracker for most of New Zealand, but Wellington again misses out on any golden weather.

The sun has come out to play and is here to stay, with a scorcher of a long weekend across the country.

Watch NZ Herald Focus: Junior distance runner Quinn Gardiner-Hall is just weeks away from following in the footsteps of his heroes to the icy southern land.

A helicopter was needed to help battle a scrub fire in the Bay of Islands this afternoon. A Fire Service spokeswoman said the blaze

The weather's going to be (finally) glorious for most of the country.

Among the hundreds of waka paddlers taking part in this year's Waitangi Day festivities will be half a dozen who stand out. They'll

Most of the country can expect another warm, dry holiday weekend, but the West Coast is in for a wet one.

Labour leader Andrew Little will attend Waitangi celebrations in both Australia and Waitangi this year.

Plea after man punched Police are appealing for information after an 18-year-old was punched in the neck as he worked on his tablet

A romantic first date along a Russell beach has sparked a toxic seafood alert that has seen a ban on collecting shellfish from the entire Bay of Islands.

Alan Langdon, who is accused of taking his 6-year-old daughter to Australia, didn't turn up to court.

Three saved as boat hit rocks and starts taking on water in the Bay of Islands.

A pussy could be on the loose in a Northland nature sanctuary.

A firefighter appeared drunk and others could not demonstrate basic critical skills during an audit, an official report says.

Kiwi yachtsman Alan Langdon is pursuing Federal Court intervention for the return of his daughter, according to a report.

The little girl who had been missing at sea with her father for almost a month is due back in New Zealand in the next few days.

An extradition order is not being sought for a Kiwi yachtsman who sailed to Australia with his young daughter.

These are the first pictures of Que Langdon reunited with her mother, after almost a month at sea with her father.

The main controversy has been the Prime Minister's decision not to front at Waitangi on February 6 because he would not be allowed to speak at the powhiri.

COMMENT: There many excellent reasons for the Prime Minister to stay away from Waitangi but being banned from speaking isn't one of them.

Alan Langdon's father believes his son always intended to sail to Australia, not the Bay of Islands as he claims.