Traffic backed up on State Highway 8 in the Cromwell Gorge this afternoon. Photo: Julie AsherTraffic was backed up for a couple of hours through the Cromwell Gorge after a four-vehicle crash this afternoon. Emergency services responded to reports of a crash on the Cromwell-Clyde Rd (State Highway 8) about 12.50pm. A police spokesman said four vehicles were involved and local staff had reported that one had left the road and gone down a bank. A Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman said two crews from Clyde and Cromwell and additional support vehicles attended.

Karangahape Rd on a quieter day. Photo: The Detail/Tom KitchinPolice are asking for help to identify those involved in a brawl on Auckland's Karangahape Rd early today. Three men were hospitalised after a series of assaults following the "mass disorder", police said, and four arrested. "Around 4.15am there was a serious assault outside the Crown Bar on Queen St. A 33-year-old man received serious injuries and was hospitalised. A 27-year-old man received serious injuries and was hospitalised.

Photo: Tim Cuff / PoolMore than six months after back-to-back floods caused widespread damage across the Tasman District, the recovery is expected to cost the council $50 million and take up to two years to complete. The total cost of damage to river infrastructure was between $23 and $25m, while the roading damage was just over $20m. The report, by the Office of the Auditor-General, looked specifically at the Tasman District. The final cost was not yet known but it would be funded by Tasman District Council, Doc and NZTA. The Tasman District Council said there were several homes on the other side of the slip site and residents were able to walk out while the road remained closed.

KnowYourStuff will be at the AUM New Years Festival, Northern Bass, Twisted Frequency and Rhythm and Alps in Wānaka, while the Drug Foundation will be at Gisborne's Rhythm and Vines. KnowYourStuff spokesperson Casey Spearin said one in 10 drugs on the black market were not what they were sold as. "We recommend that anyone who is planning on taking drugs this summer tries to get them checked before they do consume if possible. Spearin said there was concern about synthetic cathinones ('bath salts', for example) being sold as MDMA (ecstasy). Often people are buying… ecstasy pills, and we do see these coming through with multiple doses of MDMA, you know, sometimes two to three doses.

After my father’s death I discovered he had re-written his will, giving 90% of his estate to Harriet, and only 10% to me and my two siblings. The new will was prepared by a lawyer unknown to me, not my father’s long-standing solicitor. Undue influence is pressure exerted on the will-maker at the time the will is prepared. In deciding whether there has been undue influence the judge will look at all the evidence. It would also be worthwhile producing evidence from a psychiatrist to comment on your father’s susceptibility to undue influence.

Photo / Universal PicturesMovies for all agesThese movies have great storylines for adults to follow and maybe even laugh along to, and enough magic to leave the kids enchanted. Soul – Disney+A hit with kids and adults, with an epic score by Jon Batiste, Soul is sure to pull at the heartstrings. Host Mark Rober, a former Nasa engineer, builds gadgets and conducts experiments that both adults and kids will love to see come to life. Chuck these on the TV for safe, family-friendly viewing you can trust won’t scar them for life. Spoken in te reo, kids will learn about friendship and exploration in a fun, locally made show.

Police are calling for witnesses and footage from the assaults around Karangahape Rd, Queen St and Cobden St. Photo / Mike ScottThe offender is still at large, and the police file number is 215228/4647. Another serious assault occurred at around 4.30am on Cobden St, off Karangahape Rd, where a 27-year-old man sustained serious injuries. Police conduct a scene examination on the corner of Karangahape Rd and Cobden St following a mass disorder incident overnight. Photo / Dean PurcellThe third serious assault unfolded at the Mobil Service Station on the corner of Karangahape Rd and Ponsonby Rd at about 5am, leaving a 46-year-old man seriously injured. Witnesses to any of the three assaults are being asked to contact police directly via 105, either by phone or online, quoting the relevant file number.

🟡🟧Wet Weather for Holiday and Festival Goers🟧🟡Monday and into Tuesday weather gets wet and wild with heavy rain and gale southeasterlies. Those heading to the Rhythm and Vines Festival should also be aware of a heavy rain warning in place in Gisborne / Tairāwhiti starting at 6am tomorrow to 3am on Tuesday. The same orange rain warning has been issued in the Hawke’s Bay for the 23 hours starting 10am tomorrow to 9am on Tuesday. Aucklanders can expect nothing but rain tomorrow, with a temperature high of 22C and overnight low of 18C. Periods of heavy rain are forecast to develop in the morning - possibly heavy - easing to a few showers by the evening.

Photo: Kaelin Wade via RNZA bout of bad weather is about to sweep across the east of the North Island, ahead of New Year celebrations. Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne could get off to a damp start, with an orange heavy rain warning issued by MetService for 18 hours from 6am on Monday through to Tuesday. Meanwhile, an orange strong wind warning is in place for Manawatū and Horowhenua and the Kāpiti Coast from 5pm on Monday. As for Tuesday, MetService said there was high confidence "severe southeast gales will affect Taranaki, Manawatu, Kapiti, Wellington, the Marlborough Sounds and Golden Bay". There is low confidence that warning amounts of rain will accumulate in northwest Nelson and Buller."

Comedian and actor Chevy Chase ‘back from the dead’ after heart failureChevy Chase came “back from the dead” after suffering heart failure. The 82-year-old comedian spent five weeks in hospital due to heart issues during the Covid-19 pandemic and the extent of his health problems have now been revealed for the first time. Speaking in new documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, his daughter Caley Chase explained: “He has basically come back from the dead. He had heart failure.”His wife Jayni Chase added: “Something was wrong, and he couldn’t explain to me what was wrong. “During those years he was drinking, he got cardiomyopathy; when the heart muscles get weaker, and they can’t pump as much blood out with each beat.”

Photo: MetService/screenshotThe thunderstorm that has lashed the South Island and brought widespread and large hail is one of the year's most intense storms, MetService says. Large parts of the mainland have been under brief severe thunderstorm warnings through Saturday afternoon. Selwyn and Ashburton are currently still under severe thunderstorm warning. It said its roading maintenance contractor was out after the hail storm clearing street gutters to make sure stormwater could drain away. Two farms near Ashburton contacted by RNZ said the severe hail storms did not reach them.

For much of my life, National’s strategy was to stoke fear of the trade unions. Votes swirl around within the centre-left and the centre-right, but the two blocs remain pretty much in balance. Perhaps Luxon is boosting Labour and suppressing support for National, while Te Pāti Māori is boosting National and suppressing Labour. Act Party leader David Seymour was guest of honour at a party held by his party recently, to celebrate his becoming Deputy Prime Minister. It is rational.”This is the irrational view of a person who thinks bad things happen only to other people.

Some people say it’s good to stick with New Zealand shares because of what’s called dividend imputation. And, again, you still won’t cover a wide range of industries if you confine your offshore investing to Australia. Points to notice about our graph:• NZ and overseas shares sometimes follow similar paths, but sometimes very different paths. It’s a bonus you wouldn’t have had if you had stuck with just New Zealand investments. And after you die it takes longer for your estate to be settled if you have overseas investments.

McLachlan said depending on the organisation, they might want to do a police check, a reference check and an interview. “We’d love to welcome as many people as we could because the more hands on deck the more we can do and the more we can contribute to the community.”She said people were self-motivated to apply for volunteer work. “Unemployment being high really does encourage people to engage with the workforce and get experience,” Crichton said. “It really is about staying connected with the community and meeting others.”She said more young people were seeking volunteer work experience. “It’s a great opportunity to get work experience and a reference and there’s an appeal there as an employer ...

Fishery officers regularly patrol the coastline to ensure the rules are being followed. Spooner’s illegal trading of recreational catch is one of several ways people can breach fishery rules and was detected through his online presence. Fishery officers stopped the pair while doing catch inspections at Waihau Beach, also known as Loisels Beach, about 40km north of Gisborne. Fishery officers say the most common excuse they hear is that people “don’t know the rules”. The haul of 422 pāua taken from Kaikōura’s south coast in August after fishery officers stopped a car and found the seafood.