A new dog has joined the Department of Conservation's (DOC) rowi kiwi team to help save this critically endangered species.

Temperature: Cold start, hot finish - extreme temperatures along the way. Rainfall: Very wet in Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Gisborne, Southland and the West Coast. Extremely dry in Northland, below normal rainfall in Auckland and east of the South Island.

Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson is calling on the public to help put an end to the series of apparently deliberately-lit fires on the West Coast that is putting the resurgence of New Zealand's rarest kiwi at risk.

The weather in some parts of New Zealand may have been frightful over the weekend but the bank accounts of 15 Lotto players will be 'delightful' after winning $19,021 on this weekend's Lotto Second Division, says NZ Lotteries' Chief Executive, Todd McLeay.

Scenic Hotel Group's newest hotel, the luxurious five star Te Waonui Forest Retreat, has collected a prestigious architecture award in recognition of its unique design.

Homes, sustainable offices, hot pools and groundbreaking education buildings are among designs celebrated in the 2009 Canterbury Architecture Awards.

Australians are raving about our scenery and adventure activities, according to online social media monitoring conducted by the Nielsen Company.

19 AUGUST 2009 - A small group of people will set off on a 350km trek from Karamea to Franz Josef on September 1, 2009. Others will join them for sections of the journey, which will include 16 community events staggered over the 24 days and nights and a range of activities.

A 350km trek from Karamea to Franz Josef links a series of events in a new festival on the West Coast. A Day at the Beach festival runs from September 1 to 24. It celebrates the environment and encourages positive action to combat climate change.

4 August 2009 - West Coast mothers are taking part in the annual breastfeeding marathon as they latch their babies on for a feed on Friday August the 7th, at the following venues;