By JO-MARIE BROWN
Two men are recovering in Rotorua Hospital from serious head and body injuries that police believe may have been inflicted by an axe.
The pair were allegedly set upon at a party during the early hours of Christmas morning in Kaiangaroa Village, southeast of Rotorua.
Sergeant Mark Lawrence said police were unclear exactly what weapons were used in the attack but an axe had been seized along with a vehicle that would undergo a forensic examination this week.
A 30-year-old Kaiangaroa man will appear in the Rotorua District Court today charged with assault. Another man, released on bail, faces a charge of obstructing police, after pointing a knife towards officers when they arrived.
Two other men spoken to by police about the fight were released without being charged.
Mr Lawrence said the fight was not gang-related.
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