Police agree moving the bus shelter would have been a logistical challenge and had no idea how it was taken.

Buller people may know by Christmas when they'll get a new integrated family health centre to replace Buller Hospital and Buller Health Medical Centre.

The tale of the frustrated French hitchhiker who waited for four days in Punakaiki has proved a boon for the West Coast town and continues to generate overseas attention.

The under-fire French hitchhiker says his anger boiled over after he was racially abused while trying to thumb a lift.

Phones have been ringing off the hook and international news agencies have picked up the story of the frustrated Frenchman passing through Punakaiki.

A house fire in Franklin St yesterday afternoon, caused by a faulty washing machine, would have been far worse were it not for working smoke alarms.

A Government-initiated study has recommended fuller investigation "to clarify once and for all" if the Haast to Hollyford Road is viable.

Frustrated Frenchman who made international headlines after being stranded in Punakaiki for four days has left vastly different impressions on his travels.

The French hitchhiker stuck for four days at a tiny West Coast town says he will hitch a lift to his next court appearance.

A French hitchhiker who spent four days trying to get a lift out of the West Coast without success plead guilty to damaging road signs.

A Frenchman whose attempts to hitch-hike out of the West Coast landed him in court says New Zealand should be renamed "Nazi Zealand". Cedric

Frustrated French hitchhiker ended up in handcuffs after road signs were hurled into the Punakaiki River and locals were abused.

Former Hokitika woman Michelle Blok picked up an Emmy at the recent 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, in Los Angeles.

Nine years after Westpower first proposed a hydro-electricity scheme on the Waitaha River, the Department of Conservation said it had given approval in principle.

Police have found a body within the scene of the commercial premises destroyed by fire last night at Franz Josef.

State Highway 6 between Punakaiki and Fox River reopened today following a mammoth clean-up operation.

Three people have been rescued from a car which went over a cliff south of Westport.

Police have found a body in a workshop flattened by a bulldozer and torched by its owner last night.

A West Coast woman convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old boy and jailed for three years can now be named.

Kim Knight felt the fear (and then walked it off) on a six-hour side-trip to Hokitika.

Passengers on both the Tranz Alpine and the visiting Silver Fern railcar faced travel disruptions today after a derailment at Omoto early this morning.

'It frightened the life out of her. She thought the sky had fallen in,' says Westport resident of 87-year-old mother whose house was struck.

Charges stem from an incident involving two people who were collecting pounamu from the bed of the Arahura River, near man's home at Milltown.

The sale of Holcim's Buller assets has created "massive" interest from prospective buyers, says the company handling the sale process.

Daniel Scheepers appeared in the Greymouth District Court yesterday charged with contravening the Minerals Act.

'Women in the North Island are more cut-throat, more competitive,' says reality TV star during visit down south.

A DoC programme to boost numbers of the world's rarest kiwi has been so successful they are now running out of room in the forest.

Beekeeper charged with bringing cocaine into Australia has applied to go to detention centre if he gets bail.

Development West Coast doubled its business loans in the past year to $14.4 million.

Police on lookout for cheeky criminals who took DIY to the next level .