Peter de Graaf

Carpets of caulerpa, described as the world's worst marine pest, have mysteriously disappeared on a massive scale in Northland and the Hauraki Gulf. Audio

Crewmate Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell, from Northland, is also believed to have broken Sir Peter Blake's 1994 record for circumnavigating the globe.

A nail-biting, mostly single-lane gravel road will remain the key lifeline linking the storm-battered Northland town of Ōakura with the outside world for the next eight to 14 weeks.

Temporary repairs to a washed-out bridge on Northland's east coast have restored road access to an area largely cut off from the outside world since last Sunday.

Punaruku's Ōtetao Reti Marae led the response to last week's storm, providing shelter, food and power to a community cut off by flooding and slips.

Residents of Northland's Ōakura Bay say they could be cut off for days after major slips obliterated the road to Whangārei.

A woman rescued by kayak from the deck of her home says she has never seen flooding like it.

A precautionary state of emergency is already declared for the Whangārei District as large areas of the country brace for more bad weather on Wednesday.

The torrential rain sent floodwaters pouring through the Whangaruru campground and triggered a 50-metre-wide slip across the only access road.

The water, and lots of it, came by stealth in the dead of night.

"Devastation" and "tragedy" are how one resident has described scenes at the beachside settlement after damaging floods.

DOC said two dogs had been seized by Far North District Council animal management officers from a property in Wharengaere Bay.

The mosaic, which lined a wall on Commerce Street, was created in 1997 by Ahipara artist Jen Gay using tiles made by around 500 local schoolchildren.

Record temperatures have highlighted a long-standing bugbear - declining access to once-popular swimming spots. Audio

A flag-raising ceremony was held, waiata were sung and a service was led before the crowd descended the hill for a hāngī breakfast. Audio

Hundreds are expected to descend on a Northland pā this weekend to remember one of the most famous battles fought in Aotearoa.

Residents of Kāeo have lived under a boil-water notice for more than 10 years, but in October the water stopped completely.

Only about 40 adult tara iti survive in the wild, and of those just 10 are breeding females.

渔政部长表示此次禁令目的是为了恢复当地的龙虾种群数量；此外西海岸个人捕捞配额也有所下降。

The Minister said the closure of the rock lobster fishery was needed to give the species a reprieve and allow stocks to build up again.

Northland's top firefighter said the region's unusual weather conditions could be heightened by a front travelling up the country on Wednesday.

Kororipo Pā, at Kerikeri Basin, was the stage for some of the most formative events in the history of Aotearoa. Audio

The move comes amid long-running tension between groups who want Kai Iwi Lakes permanently closed to power boats, and those who want continued access. Audio

The blaze was initially across an area of about 200 square metres, but was fanned by high winds.

The death is the first recorded of a humpback whale entangling with a rock lobster pot buoy rope in New Zealand.