NZ@Noon: Transgender triumph and 'heart-wrenching' loss

Melanie Payne turns heads as she strolls along Whangarei's main drag. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A transgender woman tells her tale in Northland and a positive spin on a "heart-wrenching" loss in Tauaranga are just two of the stories making headlines around the regions today.

Feeling fabulous - this Northland transgender woman talks about her experience in New Zealand.

A Tauranga woman is turning her "heart-wrenching" experience into something positive.

This family are on a mission to change the image of Castlecliff from the "underbelly" of Wanganui.

A Rotorua songwriter is ready for the big league - and she has the medals to prove it.

A sign of the times - this billboard is kicking up controversy in Hawke's Bay.

The main drag in Carterton is set for a makeover.

The Department of Conservation are on the hunt for a kiwi-killer in the Far North.

And finally, Auckland's first cat café is one step closer to reality.