The Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, is expected to declare South Canterbury and North Otago drought areas when he visits the rapidly depleting Opuha Dam, near Fairlie, today.

A search and rescue operation has been launched for tramper missing in Marlborough.

The firefighting pilot who escaped a helicopter crash unscathed says he's happy nobody was hurt and doesn't think mechanical failure or pilot error caused the crash.

The firefighting pilot who escaped a helicopter crash unscathed says he's happy nobody was hurt and doesn't think mechanical failure or pilot error caused the crash.

A fire that started in Marlborough overnight continued to rage today. Homes have been threatened from the fire blazing through 150ha of scrub near Onamalutu.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling large scrub blazes as dry weather has created tinderbox conditions across the country, the Fire Service says. Blazes in Canterbury, Marlborough and Manawatu are keeping about 330 firefighters busy.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling large scrub blazes as dry weather has created tinderbox conditions across the country, the Fire Service says.

Farmers are weighing up asking for a drought to be declared in the Marlborough region as "atrocious" conditions sparked several fires across the South Island yesterday.

A woman who fell from a deck and injured her leg was airlifted to hospital last night.

Police are investigating after a patrol car and another vehicle collided on State Highway 1 at Clarence, south of Blenheim.

Fire crews have stayed overnight at the scene of a suspicious fire on Blenheim's Wither Hills.

A Blenheim priest has pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault.

Two children were airlifted from the Rainbow Ski Field near Nelson Lakes this afternoon.

A decision not to move the interisland ferry terminal from Picton to Clifford Bay has resulted in KiwiRail land being sold to a wine grower.

A 40-year-old man who was pinned under a tree in Marlborough this morning had been tutoring forestry students at the time.

Rachel Grunwell enjoys a weekend escape in Marlborough.

When Marlborough Boys' College head boy Angus Pauley saw a young girl being swept away by a flooded Blenheim river this morning, he knew what he had to do.

Severe rain and wind warnings and a drop in temperatures have been issued for parts of the South Island and lower North Island this weekend.

A boat belonging to a Marlborough man missing for more than a week has been recovered overnight but there is no sign of Kerry Blair aboard.

A Navy ship is attempting to close in on the last known location of a boat belonging to a missing Marlborough man.

A possible sighting of the missing launch Erie and its skipper William Kerry Blair has been eliminated as being another boat, police say.

Searchers have run out of leads in the hunt for missing Marlborough boatie Kerry Blair.

A plane carrying three search and rescue spotters has found no trace of a Marlborough boatie who disappeared four days ago.