After a rollercoaster few years, the Tranz Alpine train schedule has been boosted for winter, raising hopes the New Zealand border reopening will draw tourists westward.
Sparky the dog survived a torrid two-day trip around the South Island in her Christchurch owner's stolen ute, with only a small cut above the eye to show for the ordeal.
Sparky the dog survived a torrid two-day trip around parts of the upper South Island in her owner's stolen ute, with only a small cut above the eye to show for the ordeal.
A young bull washed away during the recent Buller floods survived being swept 70km to 80km downstream, and was found alive and well on the edge of a Westport farm.
Grass is yellowing, cicadas chorusing, water tanks emptying, and tans deepening as the West Coast approaches the three-week mark without any significant rain.