Kiwis "must be vigilant" about swimming in our rivers, a freshwater scientist says, with data often showing high levels of E. coli in waterways.

MAIN PIC MC270117NADSUP1.JPGStand up paddle boarder Marcus Hansen will soon be swapping the tranquil waters of Whangarei's Town Basin

Malcolm Lumsden was recently stopped by a lady pronouncing that "I was one of those irresponsible farmers who allowed their cows to 'pee and poo' everywhere resulting in our rivers all being polluted"

Each year, our country is shifting at about the same speed our fingernails grow. Here are four other strange things you probably don't know about New Zealand.

The state of our rivers and lakes has predictably come under intensified focus this summer, as Kiwis head to their favourite watering holes.

Residents in parts of the country have been warned to brace for widespread flooding, slips and fast-rising rivers as the mid-week weather system hits.

The city council is applying to Environment Canterbury to continue discharging untreated wastewater into the waterways and harbours in emergencies.

The tourism industry's biggest challenge is coping with record growth and finding ways to fund infrastructure.

A controversial Greenpeace TV ad has been given the green light after the dairy industry attempted to shut it down.

Search and rescue members using night vision goggles spotted the man floating on his malfunctioning jet-ski at around 2am.

Geonet say there is a 98 per cent chance of an aftershock of 6 to 6.9 magnitude in the next year.

A grassroots environment group is ramping up a lobbying campaign for more stringent "bottom line" rules around freshwater quality.

A Lord of the Rings actor who now works as a tour guide operator has slammed New Zealand's "clean, green" image.

Repairs to South Island stopbanks damaged in the Kaikōura earthquake is expected to cost nearly $700,000.

Police have today pulled a body from the Takaka River - that of missing man James Rano Dick, known locally as Hemi.

Farmers in quake-battered North Canterbury are rallying together, pitching in for supplies, sharing gear, and helping out on damaged properties.

The Wellington region could once again face slips, flooding, and further road closures as bad weather approaches.

COMMENT: Environment, drinking water and charges need to be dealt with separately, writes Iain Rabbitts.

His science background could be helpful in communicating Horizons Regional Council's activities more clearly to voters, Allan Wrigglesworth

A major study that's found taking water from our rivers has been hurting fishlife has prompted fresh recommendations to the Government.

Last week, the image of a herd of cows in a pristine high country lake provoked widespread outrage, writes Dame Anne Salmond. The mood of the country has changed.

If your stance on foreign ownership of prized New Zealand countryside is black or white, the case of Robert "Mutt" Lange reveals issues that are far from clear-cut.

Two-thirds of more than 160 monitored river swimming sites in NZ have been deemed unsafe for a dip. Where are the worst spots?

The Green Party has dismissed the new bottom lines as "weak" and argues the measures mean rivers will only have to be clean enough for wading or boating.

This winter was not a good one for farmers in the Fertile Crescent.

Severe rain and wind warnings and a drop in temperatures have been issued for parts of the South Island and lower North Island this weekend.

The death of a talented Australian tennis coach, who disappeared in Hamilton late last year and was found drowned in the Waikato River, was accidental, a coroner has ruled.