A number of people chose not to attend Canterbury recovery boss Roger Sutton's farewell bash yesterday.

Roger Sutton’s two major bosses are staying away from his farewell bash this afternoon.

The craggy and wild Main Divide really does split New Zealand into two different landscapes, writes Bronwyn Sell.

A scrub fire that spread across 330ha of the Southern Alps may have started in separate areas, police said yesterday as firefighters battled to bring the blaze under control.

Two men were injured after a truck rolled in Canterbury yesterday.

A woman was winched off Mt Sebastopol yesterday after becoming stuck on the mountain during a day hike.

As hot, dry weather threatens to create a drought, farmers are preparing for the worst.

A father whose baby died in suspicious circumstances more than four months ago is furious detectives have still not told him how his son died.

Farmers and rural householders are being warned about starting fires after a "crazy" seven hours by South Island firefighters tackling small rural blazes today.

A plantation fire that blazed through Pines Beach in north Canterbury yesterday is being treated as suspicious.

Firefighters have managed to contain a large plantation fire north of Christchurch which at its peak saw the evacuation of 40 nearby homes.

Scorching temperatures left holidaymakers sweltering on the last day of the summer break for many, with icecream-melting highs in the mid-30s in Canterbury yesterday.

As temperatures soar above 30C across parts of the country, so has demand for firefighters as tinder-dry conditions create the perfect environment for forest and scrub fires.

Auckland are two from two and rolling along nicely in the domestic 50-over competition after cleaning up Canterbury at Eden Park yesterday.

A passenger who got out of a car after it hit a power pole in Canterbury was electrocuted by fallen power lines, and two others who tried to help were shocked.

Fingers crossed, you will be blessed with a refreshing sea breeze as you tackle these top walks.

Canterbury's favourite cycling son, Hayden Roulston, will be chasing history at the elite road national championships in Christchurch next month.

It was the first time in 40 years Andrew Welch had not been home for Christmas, his brother Jeremy recalls.

Canterbury officials are confident the country's newest test venue will scrub up impressively when New Zealand meet Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval beginning on Friday.

A Canterbury pub has been shut down for a litany of licence breaches, including a bikie doing a burnout inside the public bar.

A man is dead after going on a crayfishing trip in Akaroa Harbour.

An extensive search will be launched at first light tomorrow for a Canterbury man who has not been seen for more than two weeks.

A stalker who terrorised a former female friend destroyed her car by filling its engine and petrol tank with cement that set hard.