A leopard seal hauled out on Petone Beach on Saturday and DOC says more than 150 people have come to look. Its official status has changed twice in seven years.

Terms of trade fell 9 percent in the June 2026 quarter while export prices rose. Stats NZ data back to 1957 shows imported fuel accounts for the whole fall.

National would replace the $95,000 and $150,000 caps on the First Home Loan scheme with one $300,000 cap, widening access to 5 percent deposits.

Gisborne Hospital emergency nurses strike on Wednesday over unsafe staffing, even though Tairawhiti ranks third in the country on the six hour ED target.

Enrolment for the 7 November general election closes at midnight on 25 October. Almost 188,000 New Zealanders aged 18 to 24 are still not on the roll.

Hawke's Bay stayed unbeaten after six NPC rounds with a win over Otago, while Canterbury bounced back to beat Waikato in Hamilton.

A suspicious late night fire at the Honey House Cafe in Kerikeri came within metres of Kemp House, New Zealand's oldest surviving building, while it sat wrapped in plastic for reroofing.

Workplace-based learning fell to 108,315 people in 2025, the lowest since 2011, with new apprentice starts down 24 percent as construction volumes finally turn up.

Bird of the Year 2026 voting opened on 4 September with 74 native birds standing across six parties. Voting closes 5pm Sunday 20 September and the winner is named on 21 September.

The Warriors beat Manly 31 to 30 at Go Media Stadium for a club record 18th win of the season, and now wait on Penrith to learn if they take the NRL minor premiership.

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 30km north-west of Paraparaumu at 6.34am on 5 September 2026, drawing 21,899 GeoNet felt reports, more than July's magnitude 6.3 Fiordland quake.

Shane van Gisbergen won two NASCAR Cup races in 2026 and still missed the Chase by one place after NASCAR scrapped its win and you are in rule.