Stories by Tess Brunton

The school holidays are just around the corner but some parts of the country are expecting to miss out on an influx of visitors from Auckland.

The Alexandra community is devastated their annual blossom festival has been called off as it entered its 65th year.

An independent reviewer says Invercargill residents should feel confident that their local council can do its job after a tumultuous 12 months that included potential government intervention.

Takeaway food is back on the cards from Wednesday for many New Zealanders, with South Island businesses already busy preparing to reopen their doors.

A medical union says Canterbury DHB staff aren't the only ones being told that they can't work from home.

A South Island festival organiser says they are scrambling to work out how to enforce mandatory scanning before being inundated with thousands of visitors.

The prime minister announced the initial 48 hour travel window would be extended by 24 hours until midnight on Friday for flights from Queenstown and sailings on the Cook Strait Ferry.

Tourist operators say the rules governing national parks are so outdated that when a crisis like Covid-19 strikes and they need to adapt, they're hamstrung.

It could take weeks for officials to work out what stained one of Queenstown's most iconic lakes neon green.

The tourism industry is welcoming a new roadmap to reopen Aotearoa's borders next year, while bracing for more months without international visitors.

Waitaki District Council has introduced a Labour weekend booze ban for a South Island campground, well known for its drunken teenage parties.

A review to be discussed tomorrow has found one Dunedin Hospital ward was regularly understaffed by 20 percent or more during day shifts between July 2018 and October 2020.

At least 18,000 foreign workers will be allowed to stay in New Zealand twice as long under changes to essential skill visas for people in jobs paying below the median wage. Audio

New Zealanders are busy sharing the aroha - and tourist dollars - around the country during the winter school holidays.

A rural GP says the inconsistent vaccine rollout could put rural communities at increased risk with less available resources to help them during an outbreak.

For some people with disabilities, getting a Covid-19 vaccine can be a confronting process - especially if they are hypersensitive to light, noise and crowds.

The Queenstown Lakes district is rolling out the welcome mat to entrepreneurs and employers who can bring new business to town and show the world it's more than just a tourist destination.

Australians are back in Queenstown again much to the relief of local businesses.

Tourism New Zealand predicts domestic visitor spending could increase by millions as it pitches for more Kiwis to travel in their own backyard.

Tourism operators are holding out hope for the return of cruise ships after more than a year without the reliable dose of tourist dollars.

Some Queenstown Lakes ski fields have been flooded with cancellations as quarantine-free travel remains off the cards during most of New South Wales school holidays.

There's hope a new vaccination clinic in Dunedin will encourage people from vulnerable communities to get vaccinated.

Some tourism operators say the travel bubble with Australia hasn't given them the boost they expected, but they remain hopeful visitor numbers will grow.

Philanthropist and businessman Sir Eion Edgar is being remembered for his selfless generosity, living life to the fullest and his wicked bowling arm in his youth.

A Christchurch woman says she feels left in the dark after trying to arrange a vaccine for her immuno-compromised husband. Audio