New Zealand

Career firefighters in the south will be close to their 50th strike action protest within the next few weeks, with a nationally co-ordinated event being organised to mark the event. The industrial dispute between Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) will be

New Zealand's two replacement Cook Strait ferries will be named Kupe and Cook — and Minister for Rail Winston Peters is already bracing for the argument. Peters announced the names at Parliament, alongside confirmation that KiwiRail will operate both vessels for 30 years from their arrival in 2029. The

Nearly 500 soldiers are about to descend on Gore — and residents shouldn't be startled by what they hear. Exercise Tauwharenīkau 2026, the New Zealand Army Reserve Force's largest warfighting exercise, kicks off this Saturday and runs through July 26. Around 450 New Zealand Army Reserve personnel

Another buy now, pay later service is leaving New Zealand, and this time it's Zip. The Australian-founded company has confirmed it will wind down its New Zealand operations, ending its Pay in 4 product — the one that let shoppers split purchases into four interest-free payments over six weeks

The first structural steel was installed yesterday, marking the moment the inpatient building begins to rise above ground after months of foundation work largely hidden from public view. It is a significant build by any measure. The inpatient building covers 72,000 square metres — the largest component of the entire

A tsunami warning issued after Thursday night's earthquake near Te Anau has been downgraded to an advisory, after the quake's magnitude was revised from 6.3 down to 5.9. The National Emergency Management Agency says coastal inundation is not expected, but dangerous currents and unpredictable

Whittaker's has gone full childhood nostalgia with its latest limited-edition block — white chocolate loaded with bubblegum flavouring and actual gumdrops. The Gumdrop Block hits supermarket shelves Monday. It's made with Whittaker's 28% cocoa white chocolate and contains five different gumdrop flavours scattered through the

The Eastern Southland Gallery has lost one of its most devoted friends. Sir Sam Neill, who died on July 13 aged 78, spent more than 25 years quietly shaping the Gore gallery's collection and championing the idea that provincial New Zealand deserves serious contemporary art. Gallery curator Jim