Small town New Zealand does wonderful and whacky to keep up our winter spirits.

Elisabeth Easther visited Blue Duck Station with her son and found the perfect spot.

Ride golf carts, horses or canoes to explore this wonderful area ... or get going on foot.

Elisabeth Easther finally knocks off the other half of the Timber Trail.

A missing Rangitikei man, who hasn't been seen for a week, has been found in a hay barn, police say.

A contractor who plunged 40m down the same cliff where his uncle fell to his death has spoken of his miraculous survival.

Elisabeth Easther took a quirky rail trip and has been singing the little engines' praises ever since.

Tranquil yet full of interest, this town is well worth a visit, writes Elisabeth Easther.

A 16km expressway north of Wellington has had resource consent granted by a Board of Inquiry.

Escape city life and discover this tiny Central North Island town, writes Rachel Grunwell.

Rural adventures are reviving small-town New Zealand, writes Elisabeth Easther.

Elisabeth Easther enjoys the puns and good humour in a small town like no udder.

This King Country town will make you feel right at home, writes Elisabeth Easther.

New Zealanders will still have free access to Tongariro National Park and its surrounds despite a report confirming his people's belief its peaks were never gifted to the Crown, says paramount chief.

Levin has produced plenty of superstars, writes Elisabeth Easther.

Donna McIntyre feels her fear of heights and does the Tongariro Crossing anyway.

Three volcanoes, a castle and a train make for magical holiday ingredients, writes Elisabeth Easther.

Elisabeth Easther finds timber trails, waterways and mountainsides in the Ruapehu District.

The Civil Aviation Authority has been told it needs to keep better records on flight training incidents after an investigation found insufficient evidence to link an increase in fatalities to a decline in training safety.

Rachel Grunwell visits Ruapehu in summer for a weekend of adventure.

Elisabeth Easther finds comfort in New Zealand's gumboot capital.