Due to the live nature of Tonight, we apologise for the lack of captions for some items. Rena's latest spilt cargo comes ashore, but how long before more oil arrives? A sombre procession as the final bodies are removed from the Carterton balloon accident site. And an amazing survival story. We hear from the backpacker who lived to tell the tale. Clean-up crews will tomorrow continue to deal with a fresh wave of debris from the stricken cargo ship Rena. Containers and contents have washed up at the holiday hotspot of Waihi Beach. The containers toppled from the vessel when she split apart. But also concerning authorities is the fresh oil slick forming near Rena off Tauranga's coast. Lacey Wilson has the latest. After travelling 60 km, this unlikely debris landed here at this summer holiday hotspot courtesy of Rena's lost containers. This milk powder was left to bake in the sun. It's a bit of a disaster, isn't it? Bit sad for everyone along the beach, for their holiday. We've been hanging out in the rain, and a sunny day with this is a shame. The containers and their contents are proving hazardous in the water. You can imagine loose lengths of timber sloshing about inside the surf, alongside large sheets of plywood could be quite damaging if people got in the road of it. So authorities are warning swimmers and boaties to stay out of the water and off the beach, as reports emerge of looters stealing cargo. Officials say 150 containers went overboard when the Rena tore in two in Sunday. So far, just 45 containers have been sighted and tagged. The Rena's list has been worsened, and with the extreme weather forecast to hang around, high seas are expected to claim some, if not all of her, in coming days and weeks. We just don't know how it's going to tip, and also the nature of the seabed as well. It's very difficult to actually forecast how it's going to sink. Yet to reach shore is the latest oil spill, with a 3km slick that's 10m wide drifting out at sea. We're told it won't be long. The wildlife are already suffering its effects. It makes me sad because all the animals have to die. Mt Maunganui and Papamoa locals are familiar with the Rena's aftermath, and they're not taking any chances, with teams scouring the coastline just in case. Almost certainly in the coming days, they'll have plenty of mess to clear. Lacey Wilson, ONE News. The salvage operaion of the Rena has been hampered as extreme sea conditions prevented the teams from boarding the Rena today. However, the Defence Force is monitoring the harbour channels for submerged containers on each incoming tide. It's thought there are still around 100 unaccounted for. Patrols will continue overnight, looking for oiled wildlife. The bodies of all 11 victims of Saturday's fatal air balloon crash have now been removed from the accident scene in Carterton. It followed a moving ceremony paying respect to those whose lives were lost in the Wairarapa balloon crash. But some shocked families are still looking for answers. Rebecca Edwards reports. Three days on, and this solemn processions marks the removal of the remaining bodies from the crash site. The disaster taking its toll on all those involved. Earlier today, the families of the victims were shown pictures of the flight as they came together to meet with investigators. Everybody quite clearly wants to know what happened. They want their loved ones back. Loved ones like Masterton couple Ann and Desmond Dean ` this photo of them taken just a short time before the balloon took off. Lower Hutt man Stephen Hopkirk and his partner belinda Harter were also on the fatal trip ` a gift from her to celebrate his 50th birthday. Today his family released this statement. Denise Dellabarca (58) was also known to be adventurous. She was on saturday's ill-fated flight with her cousin Valerie Bennett. It doesn't sort of sink in till a bit later until you speak to someone, and you break up a bit because you're... you know, someone's there, then they're gone. The Dellabarca family's now in limbo, waiting for answers to many of their questions. We don't know when they are going to release her or what's happening when they do release her or whether we need to go into her house and, um, who's going to look after the cat, even. It's a loss that's been felt deeply in the Carterton community, with locals lining up to write messages of support in a special book for the family and friends of those who died. With today's removal, the final phase of the police operation is now over, but it's one which has taken an emotional toll on police staff involved, many, too, needing support. It's often them talking about their own mortality and how they feel, but really at this stage, people are mostly pretty shocked. The bodies of the 11 have been taken to Wellington, where they'll be formally identified. Rebecca Edwards, ONE News. With transport accident investigators now onsite to recover the balloon wreckage, local balloonists say it's crucial for the industry to find out just what caused the fatal crash. Because you can lose the bottom third of your balloon and it will still fly. So what happened with Lance, you know, up there, must have been pretty horrific. Both the Transport Accident Investigation Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority are investigating the accident. An investigation is underway into a grass fire that briefly threatened to burn out of control near Roxburgh in Central Otago this evening. Five helicopters and 35 firefighters battled the 100ha blaze for over an hour. Conditions in the area are extremely dry. We've had no rain, no significant rain for a number of weeks now, and as you can see by the colour of the grass it's drying out pretty badly. Crews will remain at the scene overnight dampening down hotspots. And those dry conditions in Otago and Southland have farmers in the region on edge. They believe a full-blown drought is looming, as Max Bania reports. COW MOOS Early afternoon, and the mercury's pushing past 27 degrees as Otago farmers continue to feel the heat. It's hard to define what a drought is, but for us, um, we're getting to the edge now. Mark Shore's dairy farm near Clydevale hasn't had significant rain since mid-November. Right now, um, we're feeding to try and keep ourselves alive. And as far as... when it does rain, hopefully the grass will come away, and that's when our bottom line will start improving again. But right now we've just gotta concentrate on keeping the cows in milk as long as we can. I'd say if it doesn't rain in the next two to three weeks, then, um, yeah, things are gonna get really really serious. Farmers are already suffering a so-called green drought as crops fail and feed dwindles. If you took a picture out there now, it looks green; it looks like we've got grass. But underneath, that's all it is ` it's just green. We're not getting any growth. So it means we're not keeping up with demand with the cows. What looks like a cricket pitch is actually Clydevale Rugby Club. Soil-moisture here is just 3% ` well below the usual 15. Here on the country's second-longest river, the Clutha, water flows are less than half what they were just a month ago. And you can see what effect that weather has had. All this ground would normally be underwater. This pontoon has been left high and dry. It's the same story throughout the region. The Kakanui River has already reached minimum flow levels. The Shag, Waipahi and Pomahaka rivers are all threatening to do the same. Further inland, Central Otago remains a holiday heaven. I'm taking the kids for a bike, and then we're gonna go to the pool, probably head down to the river and the camping ground, out on the lake. But an end to the sunny skies may be in sight, and the rain forecast for Thursday can't come a moment too soon for some. Max Bania, ONE News. A Tauranga mother charged in connection with the deaths of her two teenage daughters on Christmas Day has appeared in court. Philippa Morehu was in another car when the vehicle her daughters were travelling in crashed. Kim Vinnell reports. Phillipa Morehu left court flanked by her fiercely protective family. <BLEEP> you. It's pretty hilarious that yous are, um, putting cameras on her, which we don't need at this time. I mean, c'mon, she lost two of the girls. The 36-year-old refusing to talk about the manslaughter charges she's facing after an horrific crash which killed her two daughters. Is there anything that you want to say at all? Nah, just wait for the case. Sorry? Wait for the case. Brooklyn Clark and Merepeka Morehu were killed on Christmas Day when the car they were in, driven by their cousin, collided with an oncoming ute. It's understood their car had overtaken the vehicle their mother was in. The girls, aged just 13 and 14, died at the scene. The tyre marks and orange dots that have been painted on to the road show where the victim's car lost control and crossed to the wrong side of the road. You can also see that there's a yellow line here, which means that this stretch of road is deemed too unsafe for passing. A 17-year-old and the 20-year-old driver of the car that the girls were in are also facing manslaughter charges. Phillipa Morehu, meanwhile, will reappear in court at the end of next month. Kim Vinnell, ONE News. A 53-year-old man's been charged with the murder and sexual violation of a woman found dead in her car in Christchurch. Keith Donald Bonner's been remanded in custody until later this month. The body of Tracey Lee Morris was found on Friday in her abandoned car behind Christchurch Airport. The 46-year-old was last seen at the Phoenix Bar in Papanui, where she worked as a bartender. And a 25-year-old man's been charged with the murder of a 65-year-old man found dead in his Christchurch home yesterday. Police say the two men knew each other. The accused has been granted name suppression and remanded in custody. Despite still shaky economic times, nzz's spent up large in the lead-up to Christmas. And it's hoped a solid retail end to last year translates into good economic prospects for 2012. Stephen Smith reports. In the spirit of Christmas, December saw most people hit the shops. The wife did. I didn't. Oh, I spent more than the last year. Figures released by Paymark show that was the case across the board. Kiwis spent a total of $4.6b over Paymark's network in December ` up around $150m on a year earlier. Palmerston North led the way, spending up 7.7%. What we also saw was Auckland starting to really pick up towards the end of the year, which is a good sign, cos Auckland tends to lead the rest of the country in, uh, economic growth. But while December brought good news for some,... Foot traffic has improved. Again, sales we can't say at this point in time, but we're hopeful it's a good month. ...a saturated summer has hit other retailers in the pocket. Normally we'd be outside having barbecues. Being out in the backyard, you'd notice areas that weren't looking so good, so you'd go out and try and fix them. You'd go to the garden centres. We're not getting quite that flow through this year because of, obviously, the weather. So where are we spending our money? Well, when you compare December just passed with December 2010, footwear sales were up just over 9%. That was followed by DIY and clothing ` those two sectors up around 5%. Positive numbers, yes, but judging by the signs plastered on most shop fronts today, retailers aren't exactly being rushed off their feet. Stephen Smith, ONE News. Ports of Auckland is set for further strike action after the company rejected the Maritime Union's latest offer in the ongoing industrial dispute. Around 300 port workers are beginning a 48-hour stoppage tonight. Three ships will be affected by the industrial action, which comes just days after dairy giant Fonterra announced it is moving its trade to Tauranga and Napier. A slip has closed one of the main railway lines in Wellington. Heavy rain overnight brought down debris from this hillside, shutting down the Johnsonville train line. Contractors will continue to clear the slip, and KiwiRail hope to have the track re-opened by tomorrow morning. In the meantime, buses will replace scheduled services. A bungy jump in Africa almost turned deadly for one Australian backpacker, but Erin Langworthy lived to tell the tale. The 22-year-old's bungy cord snapped mid-jump, plunging her into the crocodile-infested Zambezi River near the Victoria Falls. She spoke to Channel 9's Rob Scott. It's the experience of a lifetime that almost killed Erin Langworthy. Ragdoll. Whoa! Whoa! <BLEEP> 25m above the water, the unthinkable happened. Erin's bungee cord snapped, sending her plummeting headfirst into the crocodile-infested waters of the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe. It went black, um, straightaway, and I felt like I'd been slapped all over. She's in the <BLEEP>ing water! The icy water helped bring Erin out of her daze. It was then the real fight for survival began. With her legs still tied, she was sucked downstream towards the raging rapids, the trailing bungee cord snagging on rocks, dragging her under. I actually had to swim down and yank the bungee cord out of whatever it was caught on to. Struggling to keep her head above water, Erin made it to rocks near the riverbank. It was there she waited for rescue. Medivacked to South Africa, the 22-year-old spent a week in hospital where, covered in bruises, doctors were amazed she suffered no major injuries. Yes, I think it's definitely a miracle that I survived. Attempts to contact the bungee company have been unsuccessful, but in an online statement it maintains its operations are safe, and the broken equipment has been replaced. Whoa! Whoa! And Zambia's tourism ministry has launched an investigation into the incident. Just ahead, tonight's action from the Heineken Men's Open. But first, the latest on the anti-whaling activists held on a Japanese ship. And a milestone birthday for Britain's newest royal. 1 Three Australian activists who boarded a whaling ship could be hauled before a Japanese court. The Australian government warns little can be done to help the men who've been held captive on the vessel since the weekend. Channel 9's John O'Doherty has more. Be quiet. Be quiet. In a pre-dawn strike, three Australians climb aboard a Japanese patrol boat. It was a desperate bid to stop the whale slaughter. We're on there. Instead, they're now being held captive by continuing their protest. As far as we're aware, the three Western Australians on board the Shonan Maru II now undergoing a hunger strike. The Australian government wants them back. We have made a number of representations very firmly to the Japanese government. In response, 9 News has learnt the Japanese government lodged a formal protest, calling on the Australian government not to repeat such activity. This is now primarily a diplomatic issue. To prevent a repeat, the opposition wants a customs patrol boat in the region. Precisely to try to avoid, uh, the kind of ugly confrontation that we've seen. The Greens want it too and plan to legislate. To require Australia to have a patrol vessel, uh, onsite where whaling is taking place. That's not the role of a customs boat. Instead the government will continue its action in the International Court of Justice. The government first commenced legal proceedings in 2010. Now the deadline for the Japanese government to respond is fast approaching. They only have until March. Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson says the government could have prevented the protest. There are fresh warnings tonight about purchasing medication overseas after a young Australian man died in Thailand. Kyle Horo was celebrating the New Year with friends in Thailand when he decided to get a tattoo. He, um, got his tattoo, he took some pain relief, it's reacted pretty badly to him having a drink the same night, and he didn't wake up. It's believed it was the pain relief medication, which was bought over the counter, which caused the 28-year-old's death. She married a prince in front of two billion people; now the Duchess of cambridge has reached another of life's great milestones. Prince William's wife turns 30 in a few hours, and she kicked off celebrations with her first royal film premiere. This from Channel 9's Peter Stefanovic. On a wet evening, Prince William held an umbrella for his lady as the couple walked the red carpet at the London premier of the Steven Spielberg film War Horse. Kate wore a floor-length, black-lace gown by Alice Temperley on the eve of her 30th birthday, but she hasn't planned a big shindig. I think they'll celebrate it in typical 'Kate and William' style, which is understated, intimate, with the people they love the most, so I think expect perhaps a small dinner with her family and, of course, her husband. After her wedding last year, it's been a massive year in the spotlight, and Kate hasn't put a foot wrong, dazzling crowds wherever she goes, and the next 12 months are going to be just as busy with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Olympics and perhaps an addition to the family. So, I think we wil have a baby announcement ` I hope we have a baby announcement ` but I think we'll probably expect that perhaps towards the back end of 2012. The Duchess of Cambridge has really settled into royal life perfectly, and the Queen must be happy with how things are going, because in a few weeks time, Kate will start to make solo appearances at charity events, without the help of Will, and that's something that wasn't expected of her so soon. Much has been made about Kate's life as a royal so far, but she'd like to think her best years are still ahead. To sport now, and NZ wildcard entry in the Heineken Men's Tennis Open, Michael Venus, has tonight headlined the late session in Auckland, taking on the Colombian Santiago Giraldo. Venus, ranked at 378, would have needed the game of his life to take the match; his opponent sitting at 51 on world rankings. The pair produced some exciting play. CHEERING The shot was wide from Venus. But it wasn't to go the NZ's way. CROWD GROANS Game, set and match. CROWD GROANS Game, set and match. There it is. It's another win to Colombia on day one of the Heineken Open. Venus losing to the Colombian 6-4, 6-3. Former Kiwi tennis player Sacha Jones has made an impressive start for her new country, Australia, at the Hobart International. Jones has qualified for the main draw in her first match since switching allegiance to our trans-Tasman neighbours, beating American Alison Riske 6-2, 6-3. Here's what Jones (21) had to say after the match. It's actually been a really nice week to start, and having the crowd support me because I'm an Australian is so cool. The crowd here's actually really great, and so far I've just really loved being in Hobart. Kiwi no. 1 Marina Erakovic was leading her opening set, And holds. Tough hold, but she got there. Five games to four now. but top seed Yanina Wickmayer was just too good, eventually winning 7-5, 6-4. And the draw is on Sacha Jones' side again tomorrow when she faces the lucky loser from qualifying. Just ahead ` tomorrow's weather outlook, especially for those of us still on holiday. And staring down a beast ` what happens next in this encounter at Wellington Zoo. Welcome back, and straight to the weather. A weak low pressure over the country, with the current low meandering about, then disappearing to the west of the North Island. Another small low develops over inland South Island this afternoon and tracks off the east coast in the morning. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz Finally tonight ` nerves of steel, and safety glass, are what you need when face-to-face with the king of the jungle. And Sophia Walker (3) benefited from both. During a close encounter with one of the zoo's lions, Sophia's mum filmed this interaction, with the little girl successfully staring down 6-year-old lion Malik. Could have been just picking up on the fact that there's a small person on the other side, and as a top predator, that's what they're designed to do. Their instincts are telling them, 'You're little. I'm going to get ya'. Zoo staff say Sophia was never in any danger, with the enclosure glass 33mm thick and designed not to shatter or break. That's it from us here on Tonight. Thanks for watching. Goodnight. Captions by Toni Tippett and Sam Bradford Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012