Waikato news

Have wealthy Kiwis soured on the 1990s' most expensive suburb?

Homes in the waterfront strip have plunged in value since market peak.

Where house prices dropped the most in 2025 - and where they kept on climbing

The five things you need to know about the housing market this week.

Loan-killer suburbs: Where you can pay off the mortgage in six years and retire debt-free

Fastest places to become mortgage-free revealed, and how to do it.

East Coast v West Coast - Coromandel's battle of the baches

The big split in the holiday peninsula’s property market.

'Couldn't quite believe it': Athletics prodigy Sam Ruthe helps visually impaired boy smash PB

Ruthe had planned to attend the event to meet athletes, but instead took to the track.

Cyclist back on the bike 27 days after serious Taupō Enduro crash

The experienced rider says he was clipped by a passing ute about 200km into the race.

From Morrinsville to Black Ferns: Vici-Rose Green’s rapid rise to rugby’s top tier

It has been a rollercoaster year for the Morrinsville girl.

From mudbath to super sprint: Alabama Lass picking path to Sistema Railway

Trial this Sunday could be a crucial pointer to mare's chances in glamorous sprint race.

Farmer’s rare 1939 Ford truck finds new life in 'man shed'

The 3-tonne 1939 Ford flathead V8 was imported from the United States.

Big year ahead: Waikato’s event calendar already packed

On January 24, five events are already scheduled across the region.

Where are NZ’s best beaches? Dai Henwood, Bret McKenzie, Hilary Barry share their picks

From Northland to Nelson, famous Kiwis share their favourite NZ beaches.

NZ's Best Beach 2026: Help choose the 2026 winners, from hidden gems to city sands

The search for the country's best beach returns and we need your help.

Homes evacuated amid North Island forest fires as temps across NZ remain high

Many centres in the North Island were pushed towards heat records on Sunday.

Spearfishing champion warns: Ban bottom trawling or risk more fishery collapses

Darren Shields says the method risks Northland scallop collapses being repeated elsewhere.

Search our map: Swathes of NZ land bought by Ikea for forestry

Ikea's NZ land holdings will soon be the size of the entire Nelson region. See it mapped.

Teacher turns lockdown hobby into new distillery business

'The environment has played a key role in what we’re about.'

Small Business: The best of the wurst with Frank’s Sausages

Sheryn and Frank Nagel built the brand from a laundry kitchen in 2008.

'It paused the world': Spa day gives neonatal unit parents a mental reset

Parents can spend months in the unit and often cannot afford any pampering.

Kiwi Olympians cycle 4500km across Africa to give free bikes to locals

Hamish Legarth and Nicole Shields biked through six African nations.

Waikato fighter's big knockout win as rise continues

Titus Proctor impressed in his first outing under the One Championship banner.

More than a game: how Gran Turismo shaped a generation of drivers

Gran Turismo has been entertaining us for years, but it has also been teaching us too.

Leapmotor B10 full review: smaller by design

The B10 is a Chinese compact-SUV with a European connection.

Our 10 most popular Kiwi news stories of 2025: Tasman and beyond

What were the big car-related reads of the year? Answers here.

Lotus Emira Turbo quick review: the price of poise

There's nothing quite like the compact Emira on the Kiwi market. But it's no small price.

'If there is no hunting pressure': Wild pigs push farm damage and TB fears

Ospri has tested 99,641 cattle and deer for TB in the region since February.

Towel shortage leaves elderly Waikato Hospital patients unable to shower

Whānau worry patients without visitors may go days without a proper wash.

Preparing for summer’s hottest weekend: 37C in one city, looming fire threat

What to expect over the coming days as temperatures soar in north and east.

Great white hopes: Tagging project back under way as sharks return to Bay

Public donors can name and follow tagged sharks via the Great White App.