Latest from Pacific Islands

Mother-of-four died on way home after six months away
A mother-of-four killed on her way to the airport to fly home to Vanuatu had spent six months working in NZ to raise money after her husband's death.

All aboard to discover 'Bali Hai'
Catherine Masters joins a Kiwi catamaran on its first cruise around Vanuatu.

Key butters up Clark with Vogel's at NY meeting
John Key and his predecessor swap views during a "wide ranging" discussion in New York.

Rarotonga: Luxurious experience on a budget
Simon Vincent finds you don't have to spend a fortune to have a perfect holiday.

Samoa's switch to left claims first victim
Samoa's radical road switch has claimed its first casualty.

Child-bashing accused 'asked for forgiveness'
A woman accused of inflicting head injuries which nearly killed her son asked the child's grandmother for forgiveness, a court was told.

Danger time to come, say Samoans
Samoan police will remain on alert for accidents today, the second day since the switch to driving on the left.

Cat-sized rat discovered in South Pacific
The outsized rodent, which has been named the Bosavi woolly rat, is almost a metre long and weighs in at 1.5kg.

Confusion, excitement – Samoan drivers switch sides
This morning I drove out of my house on the right hand side of the road, and returned on the left, in the same country, in the same car.

Samoans on tenterhooks as driving switch starts
Samoans are bracing themselves for chaos today as motorists switch to driving on the left.

'No elections before 2014' - Fiji govt
Fiji is remaining defiant, despite its suspension from the Commonwealth.

McCully: We can't force Fiji to hold elections
Foreign Minister Murray McCully says NZ won't impose further sanctions on Fiji.