Stories by Tracy Neal

It seemed a near-hopeless task, but crowds rallied to the calls of desperate, dying whales. Tracy Neal reflects on what has become mainland New Zealand's biggest stranding.

A Golden Bay woman says saving stranded whales is not glamorous and it has to be tackled with a practical approach.

The search for Alan Langdon and his six-year-old daughter, who sailed to Australia on a small yacht amidst a custody dispute, cost more than $40,000, the police say.

Homeowners can expect to pay higher insurance premiums to help fund a restructured fire service.

Nelson-Marlborough's chief medical officer has ordered a review of health services for high-needs people, after Donella Knox murdered her autistic daughter, Ruby.

West Coast locals are being asked for their suggestions of how local government in the region should be reorganised.

Business owners in St Arnaud and Murchison say turnover has doubled and they struggle to cope with crowds queuing for fuel, coffee, food and accommodation.

Two sites off the New Zealand east coast have been earmarked as research areas for development of an open-ocean aquaculture industry.

The wheels are beginning to turn to get State Highway 1 and the main trunk rail line south of Blenheim open again.

Climate change could be affecting sacred Māori burial sites, iwi and a Department of Conservation historic adviser fear.

Nelson City Council could be faced with a by-election this year as two councillors aim for a spot in the national political arena.

The owner of a luxury fishing lodge at the top of the South Island says last night's storm has prompted guides to cancel fly fishing trips.

As tourist numbers climb, officials are looking at different fees for international and domestic visitors as a way to fund back-country infrastructure.

Six-year-old Que Langdon is back with her mother, and a man is due in court to face charges next month.

Alan Langdon's journey to Australia was not entirely remarkable, but it was highly irresponsible taking his six-year-old daughter, an experienced yachtie says.

The Department of Conservation needs to review its cleaning regime for campsites in Golden Bay, a private campgound owner says.

A father and daughter reported missing in New Zealand arrived in New South Wales on a catamaran, Australian authorities say.

A Nelson dairy farmer whose milk vending machine was robbed is giving those responsible a chance to work off the cost.

The first exhibition to trace the journey of Ngāti Rārua, Te Ātiawa and allied tribes to Tasman Bay in the 1830s has opened in Motueka. Audio

A company surveying the sea floor near Cook Strait says its work is not linked to recent whale strandings.

The endangered sparrow-sized mohua appears to be gaining a foothold on Blumine Island.

Air Chathams, which began Whanganui to Auckland flights in August, is continuing to push for a Chatham Islands runway expansion, despite its rising costs.

Seismic detectors could be causing whale strandings, Sea Shepherd says, and it wants oil companies that own the devices to pay to research it.

Moves by the Nelson City Council to accommodate freedom campers have angered some locals, but delighted those who prefer a free-wheeling holiday, reports Tracy Neal.

A sperm whale that beached near Nelson looked too healthy to have died of natural causes, a zoologist says.