The first baby born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day was not a boy in a manger but a little girl in the Bay of Plenty.

The firefighter who rescued a kitten trapped in the dashboard of a Tauranga car has been described as the "finest cat whisperer".

New Zealand's maritime authority is investigating how shipping around our coasts can be made safer, after a high-level report into the Rena grounding.

NZ’s maritime authority is investigating how shipping around our coasts can be made safer, as a high-level report into the grounding of the Rena reveals a catalogue of issues.

The findings of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission's investigation into the catastrophic grounding of the MV Rena, released today, detailed a list of concerns, including those around crew training and international conventions.

Two men are due to appear in court today charged with murder following the death of a 19-year-old man in Tauranga last month.

The so-called "hitman" in the case against Phil Rudd says the AC/DC drummer offered him $250,000 and a luxury car to become his bodyguard.

A police officer's actions in restraining a 14-year-old boy by putting his arm up his back and choking him was excessive and contrary to law, IPCA finds.

A motorcyclist has died after a collision with a digger in Tauranga overnight.

A man accused of stabbing another person in an incident believed to be related to the find of a man’s body in a Tauranga driveway has appeared in court.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is defending charges against him including one of threatening to kill.

AC/DC rocker Phil Rudd's son has been discharged without conviction on two counts of assault, despite police concerns he tried to use his dad's fame to get off the charges.

A teenager who left behind a trail of blood before he was found lifeless in a Tauranga driveway yesterday morning has been named.

Ex-AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd appeared in court this morning, where he winked at media, drummed a rhythm on the dock then jumped on his security guard's back.

Today is Child Matters advocacy organisation's fourth annual child abuse prevention "Buddy Day".

A man who police claim was approached to kill two people at the behest of AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has refused to discuss his apparent links to an alleged murder plot.

The man who dove in to Tauranga Harbour to rescue an unconscious jetskier said it was a "no-brainer" decision to try to help him.

A daredevil jetski rider has a blood clot on the brain after his signature backflip went disastrously wrong as he was thrilling a big crowd at the Tauranga Boat Expo.

Tauranga combines art and nature's ingenuity in a festival that enthrals Donna McIntyre.

Quick thinking, adrenaline and a childhood spent swimming swollen rivers proved useful for Deane O'Connor when he jumped into icy water to save a man.

One person is dead after a car and Tauranga's mobile library bus crashed in Welcome Bay, as emergency services try to free another man still trapped.

The Hairy Maclary sculpture project planned for Tauranga's redeveloped waterfront is closing in on its fundraising target.

Tracks at Mount Maunganui have been re-opened as police wind down a search operation for two missing people, including five-year-old Jack Dixon.

A pizza delivery man was robbed at gunpoint in Tauranga last night.

The two women who became lost in the Kaimai Ranges have been found, unhurt and in good spirits.