Danielle Zollickhofer is Waikato News Director and Multimedia Journalist based in Hamilton.

She joined NZME in 2020 after completing a New Zealand Diploma in Journalism course at the Waikato Institute of Technology. Since then, Danielle has been keeping NZ Herald and Waikato Herald readers up to date with what’s happening in the region. She got stuck into a variety of topics, including environment, business, tourism and local government, while also passionately covering human interest stories. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying Keeping up with the Kardashians, Danielle prefers to keep up with the kakapo and the kiwi. Originally from Germany, Danielle still considers herself a “Waikato gal”: She lost her heart to the countryside when she worked on a dairy farm between Matamata and Tirau. Even a stint on a kiwifruit orchard in the South Island could not lure her away from the mighty Waikato for long. She previously spent time in Guadeloupe in the Carribean, France, Spain, the USA and Mexico. When Danielle isn’t writing up a storm, she can be found either near the sea collecting shells, in the garden repotting plants, or atop her motorbike – a Suzuki GW250 called April - on the way to watching classic motorbike racing.