"My friend had a medieval themed wedding and her grandpa showed up like this." (Via reddit.com)
Today's Morning Rush is brought to you by Sophie Ryan.
Good morning and welcome to today's edition of Morning Rush. Everything you need to know, including the latest, breaking news, sport, entertainment, traffic, travel and weather information. Share your news tips and photos at #MorningRushNZ or morningrush@nzme.co.nz
• A magnitude
5.1 earthquake struck near Rotorua, 167km deep, at 6.47am.
• Three friends climbed up a cliff on Banks Peninsula after their car plunged 300m down a bank.
9.00am: That's all for this morning's live news blog. Tomorrow morning the Herald Sport team will have a live blog of the All Blacks v Namibia match, which kicks off at 7am. Morning Rush will be back up and running on Monday from 6am. Go the All Blacks!
8.55am: Auckland Transport has warned of delays and cancellations of trains this morning due to a signal issue.
Please expect delays & cancellations on the Western, Onehunga & Southern lines due to a signal issue at Newmarket. ^HC
— Auckland Transport (@AklTransport) September 23, 2015
8.50am: Oz, the Hamilton Zoo tiger who fatally mauled a senior keeper, will not be on display today as the zoo reopens, four days after the incident. More details from staff at Hamilton Zoo are expected later this morning. Have a read here.
8.45am: Fonterra has posted a big profit. Its net profit after tax came to $506 million in the year to July 31, up 183 per cent from the previous year's profit and raised its forecast payout for the current season. Read more here.
8.30am:
Check out this grandpa who arrived at a medieval themed wedding in full costume. There's more funny things to read and watch
.
8.25am: The Napier to Taupo Rd is now open. Some parts are down to one-lane, so drive with care.
Update: SH5 btwn Taupo & Napier is now OPEN, with CAUTION. Some parts of the Hwy down to 1 lane only. Please drive with extra care ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) September 23, 2015
8.20am: Ryan Newburn is determined to conquer the world - one step at a time. The 25-year-old American has a new outlook on life after losing nearly half his body weight. He is walking New Zealand on Te Araroa track, as part of his goal to walk around the world. Read more here. Good luck, Ryan!
8.15am: A young jihadist suicide bomber was filmed weeping before being sent to his death in Syria. Read more here, but not the story on the link had distressing images.
8.05am:
The Herald asked a class of children at Avondale Primary School in Auckland to search their memories and draw the New Zealand flag - either the current version or one of the proposed new alternatives.
8.00am:
Auckland has a new summer music festival: Auckland City Limits. Promoters hope it will replace the Big Day Out in the hearts and minds of local music fans. The event, announced today, will be staged at Western Springs on Saturday March 19. The line-up of 40 or so acts is still under wraps and will be out early next month.
7.55am:
Argentina's Mariano Galarza has been banned from the rest of the Rugby World Cup after being found guilty of eye gouging All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick in Sunday's pool C clash.
, and there's a video that shows the eye gouge.
7.50am: Looks like Dan Carter and Waisake Naholo are enjoying a night off, catching the movie Straight Outta Compton in London. Cool! Here's the TimeOut review of the movie, it's very good.
7.45am: Here's some tweets from people who felt this morning's earthquake:
I think that #eqnz was nature's way of telling me it's time to get up.
— Mikaela (@mb_inthehutt) September 23, 2015
How the heck did I wake up to an earthquake that was 160 something KM deep?! Only a 5.1 too... Somethings a little off there
— Micheale Vermunt (@thisismishswar) September 23, 2015
My dog got up, looked out window, looked at me, came & sat next to me at my desk, then #eqnz arrived. small 1 here & now she's back asleep
— Jane Thompson (@JustJaneNZ) September 23, 2015
7.40am: Here's today's great cartoon by Rod Emmerson.
Red Peak Pandas - my cartoon in today's @nzherald #RedPeak #pandas pic.twitter.com/lFPkExyJrA
— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) September 23, 2015
7.37am: More than 2400 people, from Auckland to Southland, had reported feeling the quake by 7.30am. In case you missed it, a magnitude 5.1 quake struck 25km southwest of Rotorua at 6.47am. GeoNet said the 167km-deep earthquake was of light intensity.
7.33am: Two big blazes kept firefighters busy overnight.
Shortly before 4.30am a neighbour reported a house fire happening in Nixons Rd, Fairlie, South Canterbury. Several local fire brigades were called out, and by 6.40am the blaze was under control. A fire investigator was heading to the scene.
The Fairlie fire happened just a few hours after a big blaze flared up when a house being transported on two trucks hit power lines near Kaiapoi, north of Christchurch.
7.30am: A man has been charged with assault after a 42-year-old man was found dead at a South Auckland house yesterday and a homicide investigation is underway. Police found the man's body at a house on Waimana Rd in Conifer Grove about 3pm.
7.25am: Traffic is slowly moving on Auckland's motorways this morning.
#AKLTraffic busy but moving to City this morning, 40 mins frm Manukau & 30 frm Westgate. Bit heavier on Nthn at 40 mins from Oteha ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 23, 2015
7.20am: Police told Fairfax it was a "miracle" three friends survived a crash on Banks Peninsula yesterday. They crawled injured up a bank to get help after their car plunged 300 metres off a road and rolled "countless" times.
7.15am: Another road has been closed in Hawkes Bay due to flooding and slips. State Highway 2 from Napier to Wairoa has been closed. There are no detours available, NZTA says.
ROAD CLOSED: #SH2 Napier - Wairoa is CLOSED due to #Slips. There is no detour available http://t.co/YsO9LnOKFY ^DB
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 23, 2015
7.09am:
The Pope is currently in the US, and a group of Lithuanian students in traditional dress managed to get some selfies with the pontiff in Washington DC.
Selfie with the Pope at #VaticanEmbassy #PopeInDC pic.twitter.com/EkBulmSUGB
— Rick Yarborough (@ricknbc) September 23, 2015
7.05am: Here's the information on the Forgotten Millions campaign from today' New Zealand Herald front page.
Today's front page - @nzherald and our readers at their best pic.twitter.com/8t3HsMNbKX
— Shayne Currie (@ShayneCurrieNZH) September 23, 2015
7.00am: A magnitude 5.1 quake has been widely felt across the North Island this morning, with reports of shaking from as far afield as Gisborne and Wellington. GeoNet said the 167km-deep earthquake struck 25km southwest of Rotorua at 6.47am today. Workers in Wellington city offices felt the shaking. Social media users in Petone and as far away as Gisborne also reported feeling the quake at roughly the same time. GeoNet said the quake was of light intensity.
6.55am: Canterbury Newstalk ZB host Chris Lynch posted this photo to Twitter last night.
House being transported on truck near Kaiapoi on Main North Road has caught fire. @NewstalkZB pic.twitter.com/PAuI1Cjem6
— Chris Lynch (@lynchinnz) September 23, 2015
6.50am: Emergency services fought to put out a blaze consuming half a house atop a truck and trailer near Kaiapoi last night. Four fire engines, two water tankers and about 23 fire service staff were called to the scene of the fire from 10.30 last night. Initial reports suggested the fire was caused by the house hitting power lines while travelling along State Highway 1, South of the Canterbury town, a fire communications spokesman said.
6.45am: Today the New Zealand Herald and World Vision's Forgotten Millions campaign reached more than $1 million donations to help refugee families. The money will help provide clean water and sanitation to more than 100 settlements in Lebanon, and educate 80,500 children. This story from Rachel Smalley about brothers separated at the border in Hungary is amazing, have a read.
6.40am: Due to a water valve leak Papanui Rd has a temporary speed limit of 30kmh outside Merivale Mall, with one lane in each direction. Delays are likely, Christchurch Transport Operations Centre says.
6.35am: Central Hawkes Bay District Council announced these road closures because of flooding and debris: Elsthorpe Road, Porangahau Road closed at Wanstead, Hiranui Road , Blackhead Road, Taylors Slab, Kahuranaki Road is single lane at 1.8km, Elsthorpe Road is single lane at 18.5km from it start.
6.30am: Colin Mathura-Jeffree has posted a tribute to Helena on Facebook, saying: "My beautiful friend. I can hear you as I write this...screeching in my ear...something hilarious, something naughty...eyes sparkling like the stars with love ...so much love... you're one of the best things in my life! Totally blessed to have grown with you. Fly...xx until we meet again"
6.25am:
In some sad news, TV personality and breast cancer awareness campaigner Helena McAlpine has died. The full story is
, and here is where you can conate to the GiveALittle page set up to help provide for Shannon, Helena's 15 year old daughter and cover funeral expenses for her UK based family and Kiwi husband Chris. https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/helena
6.20am: The rain is looking heavy in Hawkes Bay right now, and there's some more rain up around Bay of Plenty, too.
6.14am: The rain was heavy overnight and will continue today. It comes after intense downpours on Monday caused flooding around Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. MetService issued a severe weather warning for Hawkes Bay, saying the rain band would be slow-moving over central Hawkes Bay last night and this morning, before moving slowly northwards. Warnings for Wairarapa and Marlborough have been lifted.
6.10am: Flooding has also closed SH56 from Opiki to Rangiotu Road, Palmerston North. NZTA suggests taking Rangiotu Road or Sh57.
6.07am: The Napier to Taupo Road, State Highway 5, has been closed due to flooding and slips. There is no detour, so your trip is off if you were planning on using that road today.
ROAD CLOSED: #SH5 Napier - Taupo Road is CLOSED due to #Flooding & #Slips. There is no recommended detour route http://t.co/d8xKjsWTRU ^DB
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 23, 2015
6.04am: It wasn't raining as I came to the city from the North Shore, but there's going to be some patchy rainfall around this morning. So, take an umbrella with you as you leave the house.
6.00am: Good morning, everyone. It's great to have you with me this morning. It's certainly getting lighter in the mornings earlier.
A large plume above Whakaari/White Island prompted questions.