Workers at Nelson Hospital say conditions are unbearable, with temperatures sometimes over 30°C inside, mould on the window sills and bits of the ceiling falling onto desks.

Police say they will work hard to keep people safe over Christmas - but road users need to play their part too.

The man dubbed the "Cosy Dell Creeper", whose underwear thefts terrorised female university students, can never be named. 

A man who had no smoke alarms in his home was lucky to escape an early morning house fire, a Canterbury fire chief says.

Canterbury mum of three Elise Cassidy has gone through cancer, chemo, major surgery and a pregnancy - all in the space of 12 months - on her journey to the Kathmandu Coast to Coast start line in February.

It is still possible to get a cheaper Christmas tree, but they will be lower quality, says Andrew McAllister from the Needle Fresh Christmas Tree farm in Christchurch.

A 35-room limestone mansion in the Waitaki Valley is officially on the market again.