The chopper pilot behind yesterday's Manawatu River crash rescue has told of a "bloody great team effort" to save lives.

Officers stayed with truck driver in water for an hour keeping his head above water after dramatic Manawatu Gorge plunge.

Manawatu Police Area Commander Inspector Sarah Stewart thanked the local community after the ordeal.

Paul Olsen from Opiki won only one challenge throughout the week, but he walked out a winner.

Feilding woman Denise Lynch had left her rest home without her vital medication.

A tornado left behind a path of destruction after it tore through a Foxton Beach caravan park early this morning.

A dedicated International Education Development Manager has been appointed to lead the charge.

A female pedestrian was fatally struck by a car near Palmerston North tonight.

Up to six motorcyclists were involved in a crash in the Manawatu region this afternoon.

Part of a Manawatu town was locked down last night as police searched for a man believed to be armed with a weapon.

The incident occurred at Manawatu Prison. Two other staff were injured while disarming the prisoner.

Police are at Manawatu Prison this morning after a bomb scare at the men's jail.

Police are moving into the second phase of a homicide investigation after a man's body was found outside a Manawatu block of units yesterday.

A homicide investigation is underway in Manawatu following the discovery of a body outside a block of units this morning.

A crash involving three vehicles and a horse has left the animal dead and a car trapped under live electrical wires in Horowhenua last night.

The elderly man who died in a crash in Manawatu on Friday has been identified.

Motorists can take the alternative route on Saddle Rd or Pahiatua Track.

One person died and two others suffered serious injuries after a fiery two-vehicle crash in Manawatu yesterday.

As the fifth anniversary of his death approaches, Scott Guy's parents remember their son with as much positivity as they can muster.

Flooding caused road and bridge closures, cut power to homes and forced people to spend night in emergency accommodation or with friends and family.

Roads closed by extensive flooding and slips in the lower North Island are reopening tonight, but transport authorities are warning motorists to take care.

Police are searching for the owner of a kayak which was seen floating down the Manawatu River through the Gorge.

Motorists have been urged to avoid travelling along rural highways in Manawatu and Whanganui unless it is essential, as heavy rain continues to cause havoc.

A Palmerston North woman is reluctant to label herself a hero despite saving two young children from a burning car in a supermarket carpark.

A mysterious oil spill has caused black blobs and oil to appear along a 10km stretch of coastline.

Several sheep were killed in a fire that destroyed a woolshed in Manawatu this morning.

Over 250 people were trapped on a plane at a military airbase for hours, after wild weather and thunderstorms forced a landing.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said the gorge could be opened to one lane of traffic from tomorrow morning if conditions allow.