They come for many reasons: adventure, opportunity, family, curiosity or a sense that life could be lived differently here. In my case, my parents did as well, choosing to make Aotearoa home and becoming immigrants to these beautiful shores. Not every country offers that. I can picture the life my children might have had elsewhere, including in Sweden, but I would not choose it over what New Zealand offers. Opportunity knocksNew Zealand continues to attract people not just because of policy settings or economic forecasts, but because it captures the imagination.

Commissioner Richard Chambers will be on the beat in Nelson on New Year's Eve, as well as policing at the Rhythm and Vines event in Gisborne. Chambers said it would be a year since Nelson police officer Lyn Fleming was killed and he wanted to support officers who worked with her. Chambers said he recently required all senior sworn staff to get out to help support the frontline. Deputy Commissioner Mike Pannett will take part in frontline duties in Tamaki Makaurau, and Acting Deputy Commissioner Tusha Penny will be in Wellington. Chambers said helping out freed up frontline staff to work on "major investigations" and handle the busy summer period.

Seven-year-old Dustin Harborne is encouraged by bullfighter Glenn Taylor (left, in red) and his father, Nye Harborne, during his first steer ride at the Millers Flat Rodeo yesterday. Pint-sized and freshly 7 years old, budding cowboy Dustin Harborne had his first taste of the rodeo life after getting chucked on top of a steer and told to hold on. He had his 7th birthday a mere two days before the Millers Flat Rodeo, and the junior steer ride was his first rodeo event. Dustin, of Waimate, did not know what his favourite part about the experience was — he was "thrown around a lot", he said. First-time rodeo competitor Dustin Harborne was excited to have completed in his first steer ride at the Millers Flat Rodeo yesterday.

Interchange fees now sit at 0.3% for credit cards and about 2% for debit cards. Retailers have frequently applied a blanket surcharge to both credit and debit cards. But debit cards should have been cheaper, even cost-free when inserted or swiped. Chief executive Carolyn Young has proposed a "compromise": capping debit surcharges at 0.5% and credit surcharges at 1%. The planned ban would cover Mastercard and Visa, though some foreign-owned credit cards would be exempt.

Police were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash on SH1 near Hoskyns Rd in Rolleston just before 6am. Canterbury crash: Two vehicles catch fire after collision on State Highway 1Police were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash on SH1 near Hoskyns Rd in Rolleston just before 6am. Two vehicles have been damaged by fire after crashing and then catching alight in Canterbury. Police were called to the scene after reports of a two-vehicle crash on SH1 near Hoskyns Rd in Rolleston just before 6am. No injuries were reported but both vehicles caught on fire due to spilled fuel.

Port Waikato. File photo: Google MapsIt is believed a man who died as a result of a jet ski incident near Port Waikato was not wearing a life jacket. Three people were reported to be in distress on the water on Christmas Day and two were rescued, including a five-year-old. The police Eagle helicopter crew found a man's body this morning. Sunset Beach Lifeguard Service president Malcolm Beattie said his team had been searching for the man for two days.

“My dad, Neil, switched the day-to-day tractors to John Deere when International and David Brown combined as Case International, Dad couldn’t bring himself to drive a David Brown,” he said. When he passed away, he had one of the largest John Deere collections in New Zealand, and a big machinery sale was held. “My favourite was a 1955 John Deere 70,” Houghton said. “The JD 70 is quite rare in New Zealand.”Houghton described the two-cylinder, 50hp JD 70, with six forward and two reverse gears, power steering and a hand-operated clutch, as an “interesting tractor”. Reece’s father Neil Houghton working with the John Deere 70 in the 1990s prior to restoration.

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President Donald Trump has long accused militants of attacking Christians in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria. President Donald Trump has long accused militants of attacking Christians in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria. Photo / Getty ImagesThe Australian Government has thrown its support behind US air strikes targeting Islamic State in Nigeria. US President Donald Trump revealed in a social media post on Christmas Day he had directed a “powerful and deadly strike against Isis terrorist scum” in restive northwestern Nigeria. Trump has long accused militants of attacking Christians in the predominantly Muslim north.

A Bay of Plenty mother says she was pursued for five kilometres and repeatedly rammed by another driver in a Christmas Day road rage attack that left her vehicle undriveable and her children terrified. "Out of fright, I had to swerve to avoid being hit, and I tooted," Rachel told 1News. After turning down a side street, the driver allegedly waited at the intersection with King St before pursuing Rachel's car. "He gets right up my ass, so close that I couldn't see anything but his windscreen," Rachel told 1News. (Source: Rachel)"I just, instinctively, I put my foot down, and so, he actually hit the back corner of my car, right where my son was sitting.

Search and rescue teams were scouring the area yesterday, looking for the missing man. Search and rescue teams were scouring the area yesterday, looking for the missing man. Photo / SuppliedA body has been found during the search for a man who went missing while jetskiing in Port Waikato on Christmas Day. The man disappeared after three people got into trouble near the sandbar at the Waikato River mouth at 6.30pm on Thursday. The search resumed this morning, with the Police Eagle finding a body at Port Waikato.

Luxon has issued an open invitation to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to come to NZ to witness the signing of the bilateral trade agreement. The deal will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95% of NZ’s existing exports to India, providing a competitive edge over Australia. It’s another agreement in India’s growing matrix of trade deals at a time when the Trump Administration’s tariffs have thrown the prior rules-based order into chaos. While the aspiration target seems huge, the plus factor is it does not impose a low ceiling on NZ investment into India. Credit where it is dueThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade team has worked its heart out to get this deal agreed.

He holds an active role in the industry association for the timeshares in New Zealand as a member of the New Zealand Holiday Ownership Council (formerly the New Zealand Timeshare Owners Association). The sun might be setting on the concept of timeshare holiday accommodation, once popular among the now-boomer generation. The decision in 2025 to wind up the Bishop Selwyn timeshare resort in Paihia was one of five in as many years handled by one law firm alone. The Bishop Selwyn Resort in downtown Paihia had an insurance value of $20m and was listed for sale in June 2025 for $5.6m. Norman says while there are challenges to selling a timeshare unit, where the market lies is in the bricks and mortar.

Police were called to the scene near Petone at 5.17am. Serious crash closes State Highway 2 near WellingtonPolice were called to the scene near Petone at 5.17am. Police were called to the scene near Petone at 5.17am. State Highway 2 heading northbound near Petone is closed as a result. State Highway 2 southbound has one lane open, although motorists are being advised to expect heavy delays.

University of Auckland research fellow Ying Wang believes New Zealand schools are ill-prepared to address trauma. “There might be short-term funding or support for a group of people or a community immediately after a traumatic event. “Healing is a process; there’s no fixed timeline after a traumatic event. “People working in the schools have beautiful hearts and are really caring towards our young people, but they don’t have support. Coroner Tetitaha recommended Te Whatu Ora extend frontline mental health service Te Roopu Kimiora’s school liaison roles into secondary schools throughout Northland.