NZ@Noon: Rental rejection and a great escape

Saxon Stempa has been to 52 viewings of rental properties in two months and still has not got a home.

Western Bay rental rejection for a young mum and an escape that lasted 42 days in Wanganui are just two of the stories making headlines around the regions today.

In Western Bay, the property market is so tight a young solo mother of two has been rejected for target="_blank">rentals 52 times.

A man told police he wanted to pick up some clothes ... and then spent 42 days on the run.

A "strange geyser" has exploded in central Whangarei.

The future of Rotorua's Community House is up in the air, leaving 22 tenants "homeless."

Oops! Apparently two Wairarapa bars have been caught selling alcohol to a 16-year-old girl.

And finally, Hawke's Bay Hospital will be paying a special tribute to the centenary of WWI.