Stories by Peter de Graaf

He served in Egypt and Italy before returning to the family farm at Motukauri, in North Hokianga.

One of Northland's most keenly anticipated bridges ha opened, almost nine years after it was promised during a hotly contested by-election campaign.

Hundreds have taken the chance to share their views with a Royal Commission of Inquiry that's visiting the region.

Scruffy, sick-looking penguins turning up on beaches around New Zealand during summer are undergoing part of their natural life cycle and nothing to worry about, a bird expert says.

Trucks with trailers will be banned from one of the detours around the Brynderwyns when the slip-plagued highway between Auckland and Northland closes later this month.

Despite public calls for information the source of two dead wallabies in Northland is likely to remain a mystery.

A hospital built to cater for our national bird has already had its first patient after a kiwi was found trapped in a swimming pool filter.

It was more significant than usual given the "disruptive and dishonest" interpretation of Te Tiriti being promoted by some, a a hapū kaikōrero says

Hapū from around the Far North are expected to gather by the shores of Hokianga Harbour today to mark the second, and biggest, signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

A trial in the battle against caulerpa, described as the world's worst marine pest, is underway in the Bay of Islands.

Armed police are guarding a house in Kaikohe after the town's second shooting in less than 24 hours.

New Zealand's rarest bird looks set for a bumper breeding season this summer with five fledglings already striking out on their own and as many as eight more chicks to follow.

The peaceful march was part of a much longer hīkoi that left Te Rerenga Wairua, or Cape Reinga, at dawn on Thursday and is due to arrive at the Treaty Grounds on 6 February.

The sealing of a once perilous road means visitors to significant battle sites no longer have to risk life and limb to get there.

It is one of the great debacles of NZ history-keeping - an irreplaceable collection of more than a million photos almost ended up in a rubbish dump. But some have been even harder to track down.

Controversy over proposals about the Treaty of Waitangi is expected to breathe new life into an annual hīkoi.

Northland roading crews have made more than 300 repairs to the scenic and freight routes ahead of next month's shutdown.

People power has triumphed in a once-neglected corner of Northland's top tourist town, where locals have succeeded in driving out drug dealers and "unsavoury" activity.

Pig racing with contestants named after politicians is expected to be one of the highlights of the Kaikohe A&P Show.

It has been quite a homecoming for Aaron Clark, who grew up sailing Optimists and left school aged 15 to become a commercial fisherman.

One website has recorded its lowest monthly figure in 16 years, but some regions are still bucking the trend.

Vik Olliver was going 100km/h on State Highway 1 when he hit a hole that left him with a $4000 bill. He's not alone. Audio

Part of a treasure trove of photos has been saved from ending up in an American landfill. Audio

A dramatic drop in Northland's drowning toll is due to in part to a new strategy of identifying hotspots and working with locals to come up with solutions, a leading water safety advocate says.

The Bay of Islands will be transformed into a sea of sails this weekend as one of the highlights of Northland's boating calendar returns to the waters off Russell.