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Melissa Nightingale
Senior Reporter, NZ Herald - Wellington
Wellington, New Zealand

Melissa Nightingale is a Senior Reporter for the Herald, based in the Wellington region.

Melissa began working for NZME in 2013 as a journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle, after completing a Diploma in Journalism and a Bachelor of Communications degree at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). Melissa started on the crime, emergency and health rounds and now specialises in court reporting in her role in the capital - though continues to cover all things Wellington and beyond. She is also the host of the NZ Herald podcast The Fifty Year Secret, which uncovered shocking new evidence in one of New Zealand's oldest cold case murders. Melissa is always on the lookout for great news tips and welcomes the occasional cute animal story to break up the flood of crime. She can be emailed at melissa.nightingale@nzme.co.nz or messaged on X (formerly Twitter) @mel_nightingale.

Check out Melissa’s latest content
'Symbol of hope': Winning photo 'reclaims Māori narrative' amid cultural unrest
Bay of Plenty Times

'Symbol of hope': Winning photo 'reclaims Māori narrative' amid cultural unrest

22 May 05:00 PM
‘She was gone instantly’: Birthday balloon tragedy prompts warning from family
Bay of Plenty Times

‘She was gone instantly’: Birthday balloon tragedy prompts warning from family

25 Jan 04:00 PM

'Just don’t do it' - family's helium warning after mum of two's death at daughter's party.

Premium
Dignity and reputation: Police defend heavy redactions in Kiri Allan file
Bay of Plenty Times

Dignity and reputation: Police defend heavy redactions in Kiri Allan file

17 Sep 05:00 PM

Police say the redactions are in line with Ombudsman guidelines for privacy.

Premium
Police file reveals new details from Kiri Allan’s career-ending crash
Bay of Plenty Times

Police file reveals new details from Kiri Allan’s career-ending crash

14 Sep 05:00 PM

Photos, statements and notebook entries have been released under the OIA.

Premium
Why Kiri Allan never had to go to court for careless driving case
Bay of Plenty Times

Why Kiri Allan never had to go to court for careless driving case

22 May 04:00 AM

The former Justice Minister was sentenced on two charges after the crash.

Kiri Allan to go on trial this week for crash incident, refusing to accompany police
Bay of Plenty Times

Kiri Allan to go on trial this week for crash incident, refusing to accompany police

19 May 05:00 PM

Allan says she is testing a grey area in the law.

Girl needing machine to slow lung damage 'shocked' as donations pour in
Bay of Plenty Times

Girl needing machine to slow lung damage 'shocked' as donations pour in

30 Mar 04:57 AM

Victoria Wilson said she burst into tears after one family donated $7000.

'She deserves a good life': Girl needs $20k machine to slow lung damage
Bay of Plenty Times

'She deserves a good life': Girl needs $20k machine to slow lung damage

29 Mar 05:00 AM

Maddi Wilson ends up on antibiotics or in hospital for even mild viruses.

Missing boat of man who fell overboard, spent day floating in ocean, found 170km away
Bay of Plenty Times

Missing boat of man who fell overboard, spent day floating in ocean, found 170km away

15 Jan 02:26 AM

Will Fransen, 61, fell off the boat and spent 24 hours floating alone on January 2.

'Strange bond': Two men's near-identical ordeals surviving alone in the ocean
Bay of Plenty Times

'Strange bond': Two men's near-identical ordeals surviving alone in the ocean

04 Jan 04:00 PM

Rob Hewitt has reflected on his own ordeal of floating alone at sea for 72 hours.

'I just kept staying alive': Man's 24-hour ordeal after falling overboard without life jacket
Bay of Plenty Times

'I just kept staying alive': Man's 24-hour ordeal after falling overboard without life jacket

04 Jan 12:58 AM

Will Fransen spent nearly 24 hours drifting in the ocean without even a life jacket.

'Glad to see you': First words of man rescued after almost 24 hours in the sea
Video

'Glad to see you': First words of man rescued after almost 24 hours in the sea

03 Jan 10:53 PM

The man used the reflection of the sun on his watch to catch his rescuers' attention.

'Chaos-tamer' Kiri Allan launches new business
Bay of Plenty Times

'Chaos-tamer' Kiri Allan launches new business

15 Oct 11:39 PM

Allan is still going through the court process for Wellington car crash.

Final results? Recounts? Overhangs? What you need to know about the election from here
Bay of Plenty Times

Final results? Recounts? Overhangs? What you need to know about the election from here

14 Oct 11:13 PM

The Herald answers your questions on what happens now.

Kiri Allan pleads not guilty to refusing to accompany police after crash
Bay of Plenty Times

Kiri Allan pleads not guilty to refusing to accompany police after crash

12 Sep 11:24 PM

The former Justice Minister's court hearing has been delayed until after the election.

Your child's abuser could still have a say: What you need to know
Bay of Plenty Times

Your child's abuser could still have a say: What you need to know

12 Sep 04:00 AM

Even exes who committed serious assaults and had been absent for years still have a say.

Mum 'disgusted' abusive ex gets say over brain-damaged son's name
Bay of Plenty Times

Mum 'disgusted' abusive ex gets say over brain-damaged son's name

11 Sep 05:00 PM

The boy has the developmental age of a toddler after being shaken as a baby by his father.

Watch: 'Not in a good head space' - PM's 'difficult' phone call with Kiri Allan
Bay of Plenty Times

Watch: 'Not in a good head space' - PM's 'difficult' phone call with Kiri Allan

23 Jul 10:20 PM

The crash happened on Evans Bay Parade in Roseneath about 9pm last night.

Police name man who died in Ōpōtiki
Bay of Plenty Times

Police name man who died in Ōpōtiki

10 Jun 12:40 AM

CPR was performed but the man died of his injuries.

Cop who tasered unarmed man three times in cells no longer with NZ Police
Bay of Plenty Times

Cop who tasered unarmed man three times in cells no longer with NZ Police

07 Jun 05:00 PM

'He shoots me three times', says the complainant.

Cop found not guilty for tasering man three times in cells
Bay of Plenty Times

Cop found not guilty for tasering man three times in cells

09 Nov 04:00 PM

Video of the incident shows the officer tasering the man as he lay face-down on the floor.

Where you can pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Royals

Where you can pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

08 Sep 11:11 PM

Here's where you can go to pay tribute to the late Queen.

'It's a talking point': Tauranga man gets tattoo of Queen's face
Bay of Plenty Times

'It's a talking point': Tauranga man gets tattoo of Queen's face

04 Jun 03:38 AM

Declan Jones wanted a tattoo to represent his home back in England.

Police name victim of fatal skydiving accident in Tauranga
Bay of Plenty Times

Police name victim of fatal skydiving accident in Tauranga

21 Mar 04:21 AM

The dead man was an experienced skydiver on a solo jump.

Family relieved son's body will be returned from Australia
Bay of Plenty Times

Family relieved son's body will be returned from Australia

28 Jan 03:35 AM

Titan McCall died in a car crash on January 8 in Western Australia.

Herald journalist's book banned from prisons
Bay of Plenty Times

Herald journalist's book banned from prisons

17 Jan 10:36 PM

Inmate gearing up to fight Corrections over the decision.

Child who died on dairy farm: 'God needed him back'
Bay of Plenty Times

Child who died on dairy farm: 'God needed him back'

24 Sep 07:30 AM

Rozayah Hudson died in an incident on a dairy farm last week.

Firefighter broke ribs, punctured lung in lockdown rescue
Bay of Plenty Times

Firefighter broke ribs, punctured lung in lockdown rescue

31 May 03:12 AM

Bruce was helping in a lockdown rescue when helicopter basket swung towards his head.

Notorious criminal Dean Wickliffe to be freed on parole
Bay of Plenty Times

Notorious criminal Dean Wickliffe to be freed on parole

18 May 11:28 PM

Dean Wickliffe has spent most of his life in prison.

'Desperate' Te Puke woman stuck in Peru amid pandemic
Bay of Plenty Times

'Desperate' Te Puke woman stuck in Peru amid pandemic

04 Apr 01:17 AM

Her next flight is in May, but her husband suspects that too could be cancelled.

Matamata virus cluster linked to St Patrick's Day event
Bay of Plenty Times

Matamata virus cluster linked to St Patrick's Day event

30 Mar 12:21 AM

There are nine cases linked to the event at a local business

Two appear in court over Taita homicide
Bay of Plenty Times

Two appear in court over Taita homicide

30 Jan 09:55 PM

Women in the public gallery cried during the brief appearances.

Early childcare teacher censured for bruising child in 'rugby-style' pick up
Bay of Plenty Times

Early childcare teacher censured for bruising child in 'rugby-style' pick up

20 Jan 08:38 PM

The Tauranga teacher said she never intended to hurt the boy when she moved him.

Strikes loom again as primary school teachers reject latest pay offer
Bay of Plenty Times

Strikes loom again as primary school teachers reject latest pay offer

07 Apr 11:26 PM

Primary school teachers are revealing their decision over the latest pay offer.

'Rotten care': Elderly rest home residents dying due to low level of help - union
Bay of Plenty Times

'Rotten care': Elderly rest home residents dying due to low level of help - union

13 Mar 12:00 AM

Reports of man dying after being too scared to report infected wound due to low staffing.

Quarter of teens watch porn before age 12, report reveals
Bay of Plenty Times

Quarter of teens watch porn before age 12, report reveals

05 Dec 01:00 AM

Almost a quarter of teenagers think nobody should view porn.

More NCEA exams to go digital in 2019
Bay of Plenty Times

More NCEA exams to go digital in 2019

03 Dec 12:00 AM

Students will be able to choose to take their exams digitally in 14 subjects.

As it happened: Harry and Meghan's first day in NZ
Bay of Plenty Times

As it happened: Harry and Meghan's first day in NZ

28 Oct 05:08 AM

Prince Harry and Meghan have wrapped up their public meet and greet.

Revealed: Reggae star charged with assaulting partner
Bay of Plenty Times

Revealed: Reggae star charged with assaulting partner

22 Oct 10:39 PM

The singer has been fighting to keep his name secret since April.

Breast cancer funding: 'More important than prolonging an erection'
Bay of Plenty Times

Breast cancer funding: 'More important than prolonging an erection'

15 Oct 09:56 PM

The women are presenting a petition with at least 32,000 signatures to Parliament.

Teachers advised to reject pay offer
Bay of Plenty Times

Teachers advised to reject pay offer

01 Oct 08:31 PM

The Post Primary Teachers Association has called for a 15 per cent pay rise.

Live: Dawn service marks start of disaster commemorations
Bay of Plenty Times

Live: Dawn service marks start of disaster commemorations

09 Apr 03:50 AM

People will gather in Eastbourne this morning for a dawn service.

Relief after 'disgusting' pension deduction reversed
Bay of Plenty Times

Relief after 'disgusting' pension deduction reversed

15 Mar 03:03 AM

The money Jack Pere's stepchildren received was being deducted from his pension.

Stop-go killer appeals conviction
Bay of Plenty Times

Stop-go killer appeals conviction

13 Mar 01:27 AM

Some evidence should never have gone before the jury, Quinton Winders' lawyer says.

'Dad don't drown': Boy's heartbreaking plea as strangers save him and sister
Bay of Plenty Times

'Dad don't drown': Boy's heartbreaking plea as strangers save him and sister

17 Feb 09:51 PM

A father and his two children nearly drowned. Now he's asking for action.

Builders suffering in 'brutal' heat wave
Bay of Plenty Times

Builders suffering in 'brutal' heat wave

25 Jan 04:00 PM

Workers in heavy gear or who are often in the sun may be struggling this summer.

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