A US tourist on the first day of his holiday caused a "terrible, horrible tragedy" for another group of holidaymakers when he hit them head-on.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) is appealing for information to understand what happened to leave one whale injured and another dead in Kaikōura.

Auckland Council is urging beach-goers to exercise caution after swimmers report itching, rashes, or red spots after entering the water.

New Zealand's consul-general and a Football Fern are among New Zealanders who have evacuated amid blazing wildfires in Los Angeles.

The wind-whipped wildfires tearing across the arid LA landscape mark the latest in climate-fuelled weather extremes, likely to escalate further as global temperatures climb, scientists say.