Residents have cleared out of a central Wellington street while urgent work is carried out on a quake-damaged carpark lift which could come crashing down in an aftershock.

More than 1000 claims have been lodged with the Earthquake Commission following the swarm of quakes centred off the Seddon coast.

A brazen thief distracted staff and stole money from a young Greytown boy's fundraiser for his sick grandfather.

A mother and daughter have been winched to safety from a rocky ledge on Wairarapa's remote south coast.

A Wairarapa man got more than he bargained for when he took his two dogs walking at Lake Domain.

The AA has defended its hard line on driving tests as Wairarapa parents complain about young drivers failing their tests for what they claim are minor reasons.

Farms, homes and roads would be totally submerged in a massive dam lake under proposed irrigation plans for Wairarapa.

A pine forest fire in South Wairarapa may have destroyed trees worth at least $1 million. The blaze at Pahaoa Rd, east of Martinborough, had engulfed at least 100ha by yesterday afternoon.

Six helicopters with monsoon buckets and seven ground firecrews battled a rapidly moving pine forest fire on Pahaoa Rd, east of Martinborough, yesterday that had engulfed 30 hectares by midday and was still burning.

Wearing a helmet may have saved the life of a climber who fell 140m on a rocky peak near Mt Awful, in the Mt Aspiring National Park, yesterday.

A climber suffered head injuries when he fell about 100m and had to helicoptered to safety from Mt Awful in Mt Aspiring National Park this morning.

Viva wine editor Jo Burzynska traverses plains, valleys and rivers on a pinot noir safari in Marlborough.

Fourteen jobs have been cut at Wairarapa DHB to create one management team across the Wairarapa and Hutt Valley DHBs.

A discarded cigarette butt has been blamed for a blaze that wreaked $250,000 worth of damage to a shed, vehicles and equipment at a Masterton garden supply firm.

A drunk man who walked behind the counter at a McDonald's Restaurant in Masterton last week clutching a black-handled kitchen knife was convicted of possession of a knife in a public place at Masterton District Court yesterday.