Canterbury Region

Tour bus access to one of the best views in New Zealand is being restricted due to safety concerns.

The two-vehicle crash happened on Main South Road in Selwyn on Friday afternoon.

A scorching day in the Garden City brought masses of people to the second day of the New Zealand Agricultural Show. Audio

Dramatic recordings of police radio communications as the mosque attacks unfolded capture officers scrambling to respond have been played in the inquest into the shootings.

A senior policeman has told the Christchurch mosque inquest that there is always a risk of attacks at New Zealand places of worship.

Paramedics spent more than six minutes parked and needed to be convinced to proceed to Linwood Islamic Centre, an Australian police officer says.

An AOS medic says he was not aware of a "load and go" strategy to help worshippers shot in the terror attack at Christchurch's Linwood Islamic Centre, because ambulances were so stretched.

Police officers used their own vehicles to take people shot at Christchurch's Linwood Islamic Centre to hospital because they knew ambulance resources were limited, an inquest has heard.

Craig Stockdale broke down in tears describing trying to treat worshippers who needed surgeons, not paramedics, after being shot at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque.

Craig Stockdale has told the Coroners Court ambulances "were not simply stopped" on Deans Avenue despite evidence given by police officers.

The Armed Offenders Squad member said the attack was "off the charts" and police could not deal with the number of injured victims alone.

A sperm whale stranded on a Christchurch beach has died overnight.

Mohammad Siddiqui and Ahmad Alayedy have told the inquest into the Christchurch terror attack they kicked out a glass panel in an emergency exit door because it would not open.

The squad member said a handover to other staff about first aid treatment would have been helpful - but he failed to do so before leaving Al Noor Mosque.

The horrifying scene which confronted emergency services at Al Noor Mosque on the day of the Christchurch terror attack has been described by a member of the Armed Offenders Squad.

The supervisor mentoring a junior 111 call-taker says she would like to think a call about the terrorist's manifesto would have been acted on differently had they realised the threat was genuine.

The staffer who dealt with the first 111 call about the Christchurch terror attacks was on their "third of fourth shift", an inquest has heard.

A police inspector says he understands why a call-taker considered the report about the manifesto to be a lower priority and says it was not a mistake to label it as such.

An inquest into the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attack will examine whether an emergency exit door at one of the mosques did not work during the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 51 people.