Stories by Nick Butcher

Aspiring novelists and poets converged on a remote Kapiti Coast campsite over the weekend to gain inspiration and knowledge from published writers.

Singapore Airlines' new direct flight between Wellington and Canberra is being welcomed by bureaucrats and business people. Audio

A rare northern royal albatross, or toroa, has been released back into the wild this morning off the coast of Wellington. Watch video of the release here. Video

Sex abuse victims say a child sex offender register is needed and they want it to go one step further by making the names public.

A proposed specialist sexual violence court with dedicated judges has support, but one professor is calling to abolish juries from such cases. Audio

Most car owners will save more than $65 a year on their vehicle registration after major levy reductions announced by the Accident Compensation Corporation.

The mother of a murdered Christchurch teenager believes a planned new system for monitoring deported criminals could save lives.

Victims' advocates say giving the victims of long-term family violence the right to argue a partial defence to murder is worth investigating.

Michael Preston killed his estranged wife in a frenzied attack because he wanted full control and custody of their children, the High Court in Wellington has been told.

A group of Wellingtonians suffering life-threatening emphysema have started a choir, which is having a remarkable effect on their conditions. Audio

Victims will get a better deal under a toughened up law that gives convicted criminals fewer chances to gain parole, the Parole Board chairman says.

Two teenagers who tried to save a drowning man and a police officer who hauled another man out of the ocean have been recognised with urban safety awards.

Some family members of murder and rape victims say they live in fear that the offenders could seek retribution or contact if released from prison.

A former police detective and the father of a murder victim back calls for preventive detention to be an option after prison.

A human rights lawyer says the alleged treatment of a Mt Eden prison inmate possibly breaches both the Corrections and Bill of Rights Acts.

The union representing prison officers says Serco is dodging responsibility by saying it only received a report in May on allegations of a fight club at Mount Eden. Video, Audio

The head of Corrections says he has known about claims of an organised fight club in Mt Eden prison but has never had the evidence to back them up. Video

Businesses and homeowners on Wellington's south coast say they will have to adapt to high seas but urge the council not to give up on them. Audio

For many, going to court without a lawyer would be unthinkable but a new study shows there is a growing trend for self representation.

Woven flax artwork panels at Te Papa Tongarewa were packed up today and are to be shipped to their permanent home at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Audio

The completion of a 12 year online project, Te Ara -The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, was celebrated in the capital last night in front of an audience of 300 people. Audio

Here for a good time, not a long time, was loosely the motto of womaniser, Don Giovanni, the opera's greatest anti-hero. Don Giovanni is now being performed in Wellington. Audio

One of the world's most popular musicals, The Sound of Music, is touring New Zealand. Arts Reporter Nick Butcher caught up with some of the cast in Wellington. Video