DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF TONIGHT, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. SCIENTISTS WARN TONGARIRO COULD STILL BLOW. WE'RE LIVE FOR THE LATEST. AIR NZ GROUNDS 18 PLANES AFTER HAIRLINE CRACKS ARE FOUND. AND IT DIDN'T MEET HIS PERSONAL STANDARDS. ALAN REAY APOLOGISES TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED IN THE CTV BUILDING. SCIENTISTS AREN'T RULING OUT MORE EXPLOSIVE BURSTS FROM MT TONGARIRO, WARNING IT COULD BLOW ANY TIME AFTER ITS ERUPTION LAST NIGHT. IT WAS ON TONGARIRO'S NORTHERN SIDE AT THE TE MARI CRATER. THE BLAST THREW ROCKS A KILOMETRE INTO THE AIR AND SPEWED ASH AS FAR AS NAPIER AND OTHER AREAS IN THE CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND. ONE NEWS REPORTER CHARLOTTE WHALE HAS SPENT THE DAY AT MT TONGARIRO AND JOINS US NOW FOR THE LATEST. CHARLOTTE. SCIENTISTS HERE CAN'T TELL US WHEN OR IF ANOTHER ERUPTION WILL HAPPEN. THEY'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE, WHETHER THERE'S MAGMA IN THE SAMPLES. THE RESULTS WON'T BE OUT FOR A WHILE. A SLEEPING GIANT ROARS AGAIN AFTER 115 YEARS. ASH SPEWED OUT OF MT TONGARIRO'S CRATER, LANDING AS FAR AWAY AS HAWKE'S BAY. SEARCH-AND-RESCUE TEAMS DETERMINED EARLY ON NOBODY WAS HURT, BUT POLICE SAY IT COULD EASILY HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY. THESE PICTURES SHOW KETETAHI HUT ON THE POPULAR TONGARIRO ALPINE CROSSING. A BOULDER SHOWER RIPPED THROUGH THE ROOF, BUNK BEDS AND FLOOR. THE TRACK ITSELF IS SUBMERGED IN ASH. THIS GROUP MADE A LUCKY ESCAPE. THEY WERE STAYING IN THE MANGATEPOPO HUT AFTER A DAY'S TRAMPING. WE WERE PROBABLY THE CLOSEST PEOPLE ON EARTH TO IT. THEY SAY THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE WAS AT AROUND 7.30 LAST NIGHT. THE CLOTHES RACK ABOVE THE FIREPLACE WAS WOBBLING, AND I SAID, 'THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE.' HE SAID, 'NAH, RUBBISH.' I SAID, 'YES, THERE WAS. IT WAS AN EARTHQUAKE.' TRUCK DRIVER BOB MAHUKA WAS ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME OF THE ERUPTION AND WAS CAUGHT IN AN ASH STORM. ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT WAS QUITE CLEAR, AND THEN YOU'D DRIVE STRAIGHT INTO THE STUFF. AND IT WAS GETTING STIRRED UP FROM THE ROADS TOO FROM THE OTHER TRUCKS. THERE HAVE BEEN RUMBLINGS FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS, BUT EXPERTS SAY THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING THIS. THE ERUPTION ITSELF JUST GAVE US NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. IT JUST SNUCK UP ON US, AND IF FURTHER HYDROTHERMAL-DRIVEN ERUPTIONS OCCUR, THEY COULD WELL BE THE SAME. POLICE SAY THEY'RE PREPARED FOR A WORSE-CASE SCENARIO. AT THIS STAGE, WE EXPECT THE SITUATION TO STABILISE. IF THERE'S ANY ESCALATION IN THAT SITUATION, WE WILL MONITOR IT AND COME UP WITH AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. ROADS WERE CLOSED AROUND THE MOUNTAIN. AND EVEN BEFORE THE SUN WAS UP, OUR CAMERAS WERE CATCHING THE ACTION. FLIGHTS WERE DISRUPTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ALL WERE CANCELLED IN AND OUT OF NAPIER. THEY SHOULD RESUME TOMORROW. BUT RESIDENTS CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAIN'S BASE HAVE AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN FROM NOW ON IN, SO WE'RE ALL ON TENTERHOOKS RIGHT NOW. WE'VE JUST BEEN INTO TOWN TO STOCK UP. AUTHORITIES TOO KNOW THIS REAWAKENED MOUNTAIN IS FULL OF SURPRISES. AS YOU SAW, THE TONGARIRO CROSSING AND HUTS ARE IN A BAD WAY. POLICE WILL BE WORKING WITH DOC TO REOPEN THE HUTS. THANKS, CHARLOTTE WHALE. AND AS YOU'D IMAGINE, RESIDENTS LIVING AT THE BASE OF MT TONGARIRO ARE FACING AN UNCERTAIN NIGHT. RUTH WYNN-WILLIAMS HAS BEEN WITH THE COMMUNITY AT LAKE ROTOAIRA. THE MESSY REALITY... OH, IT'S A MESS. WE'VE GOT ABOUT 2 INCHES TO 3 INCHES OF VOLCANIC ASH EVERYWHERE. ...AFTER AN UNBELIEVABLE NIGHT. YOU CAN IMAGINE WAITING JUST BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF ON AN AIRCRAFT, AND THE SOUND WHEN THOSE ENGINES ARE AT FULL SPEED, THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD. HIROSHIMA. YES, NO, THAT'S WHAT THE CLOUD LOOKED LIKE ` HIROSHIMA. IT WAS JUST LIKE A BIG RUMBLE, AND THE HOUSE JUST SHOOK. THE LAKE ROTOAIRA COMMUNITY, IN THE HEART OF THE TONGARIRO, FLED THEIR HOMES. IT WAS QUITE SCARY, AND ME BEING ASTHMATIC, I HAD TO` I RAN OUT THE DOOR. IT WAS LIKE OPENING A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE WITH AN EXPLOSION, AND IT WAS HUGE. IT WAS WHITE, IT WAS WIDE, AND IT WAS HIGH. IT WAS TRAVELLING FAST. LOCAL MARAES PROVIDED SAFE HAVENS ` PART OF AN ERUPTION ACTION PLAN MADE JUST LAST WEEK AFTER THE MOUNTAIN SOUNDED AN EARLY WARNING. THERE WAS, LIKE, A BIG` LIKE A SOUND LIKE THUNDER, AND THE HOUSE SHOOK. AND WE JUST SORT OF SHRUGGED IT OFF. WE'RE ON THE EDGE OF STATE HIGHWAY 1. MT TONGARIRO IS OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE TREES THERE. AND IF YOU LOOK, YOU CAN SEE THAT EVERYTHING HERE IS COVERED IN A THICK LAYER OF DUST. THE DUST STRETCHES ALONG THIS ROAD FOR ABOUT A KILOMETRE. IT'S SO THICK, I CAN FEEL IT BURNING IN MY THROAT. IT'S JUST ENDLESS. CONCERN NOW FOR LOCAL RESOURCES. THIS IS OUR SPAWNING TIME FOR THE TROUT, SO I'M NOT TOO SURE HOW THAT WILL AFFECT THEM NOW. WE'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT ALL OUR ANIMALS OVER THERE. THIS LITTLE COMMUNITY OF ROTOAIRA IS VERY RESILIENT, AND THERE'S A HUGE COMMUNITY SPIRIT. A COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND CLEANING UP IN THE HOPE THAT THIS REALLY IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EVENT. RUTH WYNN-WILLIAMS, ONE NEWS. ENGINEERS WILL BE WORKING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT TO INSPECT 18 AIR NZ AIRCRAFT AFTER CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECK. THE FLEET OF BEECH 1900S IS OPERATED BY EAGLE AIR AND HAS BEEN GROUNDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. HELEN CASTLES HAS MORE. THE ODDS DON'T LOOK GOOD FOR THESE DOMESTIC WORKHORSES. ENGINEERS INSPECTING THE 19-SEATER PLANES HAVE ALREADY FOUND HAIRLINE CRACKS IN THE TAILS IN THREE OF THE FOUR AIRCRAFT THEY'VE CHECKED SO FAR. AND WHILE THE CRACKS AREN'T SIGNIFICANT, THEY COULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS TO REPAIR. LIKE A VEHICLE, I GUESS, YOU WILL HAVE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS CONCERNS OVER TIME, AND FOR US IT'S ABOUT ADDRESSING THOSE WELL BEFORE THEY BECOME ANY ISSUE OF CONCERN. THE BEECH 1900 HAS BEEN IN SERVICE WITH AIR NZ SINCE 2001. THEY OPERATE OUT OF 20 AIRPORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND UNTIL NOW HAVE HAD A PRETTY GOOD TRACK RECORD. METAL DOES FATIGUE. EVEN AFTER ALL OF THE STRESS TESTING THEY DO AND FATIGUE TESTING THEY DO ON AIRCRAFT, WE DO FIND AIRCRAFT DO DEVELOP FATIGUE SITUATIONS, AND THIS WAS ONE THAT WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE ANY INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE FOR AROUND 800 AFFECTED CUSTOMERS. EAGLE AIR WILL USE OTHER AIR NZ FLEETS, AND CUSTOMERS ARE BEING URGED TO CHECK THEIR WEBSITE OR CONTACT THE AIRLINE DIRECTLY. NO ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHERE THESE HAIRLINE CRACKS GO TO. THEY ARE FOUND AND FIXED BEFORE THEY EVEN REACH A POINT OF BEING A SAFETY ISSUE. CIVIL AVIATION SAYS IT'S WORKING CLOSELY WITH AIR NZ TO OVERSEE THE RETURN OF THE FLEET TO THE SKIES. HELEN CASTLES, ONE NEWS. THE OWNER OF THE FIRM THAT DESIGNED THE DOOMED CTV BUILDING HAS APOLOGISED TO THE FAMILIES OF THE 115 WHO DIED WHEN IT COLLAPSED. ALAN REAY TOLD THE ROYAL COMMISSION THE BUILDING HAD NOT MET HIS PERSONAL STANDARDS. BUT AS LISA DAVIES REPORTS, THAT COMMENT QUICKLY DREW SOME QUESTIONS. THE CTV BUILDING TOOK 115 LIVES AS IT FELL. TODAY, AN APOLOGY FROM THE MAN WHOSE FIRM DESIGNED IT. I APOLOGISE TO ALL THE FAMILIES AFFECTED, AS THIS BUILDING DID NOT MEET MY STANDARDS. DESPITE THAT APOLOGY, DURING HIS THIRD TIME ON THE STAND, ALAN REAY ONCE AGAIN DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM THE CTV BUILDING'S DESIGN. I HAD LITTLE TO DO WITH IT, AND I RELIED ON MR HARDING. THE COMMISSION QUESTIONED THE CREDIBILITY OF THAT ANSWER, GIVEN THAT ENGINEER DAVID HARDING HAD NO EXPERIENCE DESIGNING A MULTI-STOREY BUILDING... HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT HE COULD DO IT, AND I ACCEPTED IT. COUNSEL FOR THE COMMISSION THEN ASKED HIM IF HE BELIEVES DESIGN PROBLEMS WITH THE BUILDING SHOULD LIE AT DAVID HARDING'S DOOR. THEN IT MUST BE MR HARDING'S FAULT ` IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I HAVE SAID ALREADY THAT IN THE END, IF MR HARDING HAS MADE AN ERROR, THEN ULTIMATELY IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MY COMPANY. BEFORE HE LEFT THE STAND TODAY, A REQUEST FROM THE FAMILIES' LAWYER. < WHEN YOU NEXT GIVE EVIDENCE DURING THE CODE-COMPLIANCE SECTION, < COULD YOU LIST, PLEASE, FOR US THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU SAY THE BUILDING DID NOT MEET YOUR STANDARDS? I CERTAINLY WILL DO MY BEST. SO ALAN REAY WILL BE BACK ON THE STAND FOR A FOURTH TIME BEFORE THE HEARING ENDS. LISA DAVIES, ONE NEWS. NOW WE GO TO SIMON DALLOW IN LONDON FOR THE LATEST FROM THE GAMES. SIMON. HELLO FROM LONDON, WHERE OUR WOMEN'S KAYAKERS HAVE BEEN IN ACTION AT ETON DORNEY. HOPING TO MAKE IT THROUGH HER HEAT IN THE K1 500M SPRINT WAS AUCKLANDER TENEALE HATTON. A SLOW START DIDN'T HELP HER CAMPAIGN, FINISHING A DISTANT SIXTH, BUT THAT'S STILL GOOD ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH TO THE SEMIS LATER TONIGHT. SHE'S FINISHED FIFTH. K2 PAIRING OF LISA CARRINGTON AND ERIN TAYLOR WERE ENSURED OF A PLACE IN THEIR SEMI-FINAL, WITH UNDER THE REQUISITE NUMBER TAKING THE STARTING BLOCKS, FINISHING THIRD AND QUALIFYING FOR THE SEMIS. TO THE VELODROME, AND KIWI SIMON VAN VELTHOOVEN FACED A STRONG FIELD IN HEAT ONE OF THE MEN'S KEIRIN, INCLUDING TEAM GB LEGEND SIR CHRIS HOY. STARTING ON THE OUTSIDE IN SIXTH, VAN VELTHOOVEN FOUGHT AND WON THE FRONT. AFTER THE RELEASE IT WAS ALL CHRIS HOY AND VAN VELTHOOVEN. THEY RING THE BELL. SIR CHRISTOPHER HOY IN THE FRONT. SIMON VAN VELTHOOVEN BEHIND, DAVE EIDERS THIRD. THIS IS GOOD STUFF FROM THE KIWI. WHY DON'T YOU GET ALONGSIDE HIM, SIMON, AND SHOW HIM YOU'RE THERE? VAN VELTHOOVEN, LOVELY RIDE. LOVELY RIDE. HOY WINS, VAN VELTHOOVEN SECOND. DAYLIGHT THIRD. WHILE IN THE INDIVIDUAL PURSUIT STAGE OF THE WOMEN'S OMNIUM, JOANNE KIESANOWSKI RODE A FAST TIME IN HER RACE, HOPING TO IMPROVE HER 11TH PLACING AS THE EVENT WRAPS UP IN THE NEXT HOUR. AND YOU CAN KEEP UP TO DATE WITH OUT ALL OUR ATHLETES IN ACTION AT THE GAMES ON ONENEWS.CO.NZ/OLYMPICS. BACK TO YOU, MIRI. JUST AHEAD ` SYRIA'S PRIME MINISTER FLEES, BUT THERE'S FEAR AS FOREIGN FIGHTERS JOIN THE REBEL CAUSE. AND CRITIC, ACCLAIMED WRITER AND RACONTEUR ROBERT HUGHES DIES. WE LOOK BACK AT HIS COLOURFUL LIFE. 1 THE CHIEF HIGH COURT JUDGE HAS STOPPED US FROM SHOWING FOOTAGE OF THE RAIDS ON THE DOTCOM MANSION NORTH OF AUCKLAND. THE INTERNET MILLIONAIRE'S BEEN BACK IN COURT FOR A THREE-DAY HEARING. POLICE WERE QUIZZED ABOUT WHAT LEVEL OF THREAT HE POSED AND WHETHER THE ELITE SPECIAL TACTICS GROUP WAS NEEDED TO EXECUTE THE SEARCH WARRANTS IN JANUARY, WHICH HAVE SINCE BEEN RULED INVALID. IT FOLLOWED EVIDENCE FROM DOTCOM HIMSELF CLAIMING POLICE VIOLENCE. I HAD A PUNCH IN TO THE FACE. I HAD BOOTS KICKING ME DOWN TO THE FLOOR. I HAD A KNEE INTO THE RIBS, AND MY HANDS WERE ON THE FLOOR. ONE MAN WAS STANDING ON MY HAND. ALL MOVING AND STILL IMAGES OF THE RAIDS WILL BE KEPT SECRET UNTIL AT LEAST TOMORROW MORNING WHEN JUSTICE HELEN WINKLEMAN WILL REVIEW THE ORDER. THE BATTLE FOR SYRIA'S TAKEN ANOTHER TWIST. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS FLED, DENOUNCING WHAT HE CALLS BASHAR AL-ASSAD'S TERRORIST REGIME. BUT WHILE THE PRESIDENT'S LOSING HIS GRIP ON POWER FEARS ARE GROWING ABOUT WHO'S ON THE REBELS' SIDE. THE ABC'S ALEX MARQUARDT REPORTS. TRAVELLING ACROSS SYRIA, WE MET MANY YOUNG, FRESH-FACED MEN WHO HAVE JOINED THE REBELLION ` ARMY DEFECTORS, MEN WHO SAY THEY REFUSE TO FIRE ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE. BUT THERE'S A MUCH MORE OMINOUS PRESENCE NOW IN SYRIA TOO THAT HAS MANY IN WASHINGTON WORRIED. FOREIGN FIGHTERS ` MOSTLY RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS ` STREAMING IN AND TAKING UP THE FIGHT. THEY WANT ASSAD TO GO AND SYRIA TO BECOME AN ISLAMIST STATE. WE HEADED OUT TO FIND SOME OF THEM. INSTEAD, LED BY THAT CAR RIGHT THERE, THEY FOUND US. THEY WERE HEAVILY ARMED, SO WE HID OUR CAMERA. WELL, THAT WAS INTERESTING. WE WERE STOPPED BY A VAN-FULL OF WHAT WERE CLEARLY FUNDAMENTALIST FIGHTERS. THEY STOPPED OUR CAR. THEY ALL HAD AK-47S. THEY WANTED TO SEE OUR PASSPORTS AND IDS. CLEARLY VERY UNHAPPY TO SEE US. WHAT WAS QUITE INTERESTING WAS THEY WERE SPEAKING ARABIC WITH A NON-SYRIAN ACCENT, AS WELL AS OTHER LANGUAGES, SO WE GOT OUT OF THERE REALLY FAST. ALONG WITH THE ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN FIGHTERS IS SOMETHING EVEN MORE WORRYING ` A GROWING NUMBER OF SUICIDE BOMBINGS IS EVIDENCE THAT AL QAEDA IS HERE AS WELL. THEIR INFAMOUS BLACK FLAGS ARE IN A GROWING NUMBER OF VIDEOS COMING OUT OF SYRIA. MANY IN THIS REBELLION WANT THE HELP OF FOREIGN FIGHTERS, BUT REJECT THE EXTREME TERROR TACTICS OF GROUPS LIKE AL QAEDA. GUNFIRE, EXPLOSIONS TRAVELLING THE COUNTRY, IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT SYRIA IS BECOMING MORE CHAOTIC, MAKING THE QUESTION OF WHO WOULD TAKE OVER AFTER ASSAD MORE COMPLICATED AND THE RESULT POSSIBLY MORE DANGEROUS. MORE DETAILS ARE EMERGING ABOUT THE FANATIC WHO KILLED SIX WORSHIPPERS AT A SIKH TEMPLE IN THE US. HE WAS A MILITARY VETERAN AND WHITE SUPREMACIST, AS THE ABC'S BRIAN ROSS REPORTS. CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SAY WADE MICHAEL PAGE WAS A LONG-TIME MAJOR PLAYER IN THE SUBTERRANEAN WORLD OF WHITE POWER. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS SAY HE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A GROUP CALLED VOLKSFRONT WHICH DESCRIBES ITSELF AS REPRESENTING 'WORKING PERSONS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT'. THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTRE SAYS IT HAS TRACKED PAGE FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS AS HE MOVED THROUGH AMERICAN'S SKINHEAD CIRCLES. HE FIRST REALLY APPEARED ON THE WHITE SUPREMACIST SCENE WAY BACK 2000, WHEN HE STARTED TO PLAN A NUMBER OF VERY WELL-KNOWN WHITE POWER MUSIC BANDS. PAGE'S MOST RECENT BAND, CALLED 'END APATHY', PERFORMED AT WHITE POWER FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH ITS PROVOCATIVE LYRICS FROM SONGS INCLUDING 'SELF-DESTRUCT' AND 'SUBMISSION', DOCUMENTED BY THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE. THE BASIC IDEA THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE IS THAT THEY ARE LONELY DEFENDERS OF THE WHITE RACE, WHICH IS BEING SUBJECTED TO A GENOCIDE BY THE MISERABLE MULTICULTURALISTS OF THE WORLD AND SO ON. AND SO THEY SEE THEMSELVES FUNDAMENTALLY AS MARTYRS. A NATIVE OF COLORADO, PAGE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AT THE AGE OF 21 AND WAS STATIONED IN TEXAS AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE ARMY SAYS HE WAS DISCHARGED IN 1998 AFTER BEING DEMOTED FROM SERGEANT TO SPECIALIST AND DEEMED INELIGIBLE FOR RE-ENLISTMENT. PAGE APPEARS TO HAVE MOVED TO THE MILWAUKEE AREA JUST THIS YEAR, WHERE NEIGHBOURS SAID HE WAS NOT VERY FRIENDLY. ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, ABOUT A 1.5. PAGE HAD WORKED AT AN AREA METAL FACTORY UNTIL MID-JULY. ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THAT HE BOUGHT THE GUN USED IN SUNDAY'S SHOOTING. CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SAY THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH THE SHADOWY WHITE POWER MOVEMENT IN WHICH PAGE BECAME PROMINENT. BUT FOR ALL HIS DEVOTION TO IT, SOME OF THE MOVEMENT'S MORE PROMINENT WEBSITES, INCLUDING THE VOLKSFRONT, TODAY CONDEMNED THE ATTACK AND LABELLED PAGE AS 'CRAZY'. HE WAS A LARRIKIN, A RACONTEUR AND REGARDED AS ONE OF THE GREAT ART CRITICS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. NOW AT THE AGE OF 74, THE AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR AND FILMMAKER ROBERT HUGHES HAS DIED IN NEW YORK. THE ABC'S ANNE MARIA NICHOLSON LOOKS BACK ON HIS COLOURFUL LIFE. ROBERT HUGHES WAS BORN INTO A PROMINENT SYDNEY FAMILY OF LAWYERS AND POLITICIANS, BUT HE WAS OF A GENERATION OF EX-PATS WHO SOUGHT FAME AND FORTUNE AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA IN LONDON AND NEW YORK. HIS ACERBIC ART REVIEWS FOR TIME MAGAZINE MADE HIS INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION. HE MADE A SPLASH WHEN HE RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA IN THE EARLY '70S. IT'S SO STRANGE TO SEE ALL YOU CATS AGAIN. HE DUMPED ON THE LIKES OF BOYD, DOBELL AND OLSEN. YOU CAN'T BE A CRITIC AND NOT HAVE A HARSH SIDE. BUT WITH HIS YOUNG SON DANTON BESIDE HIM, HE INTERVIEWED ONE OF HIS ADMIRED SUBJECTS, BRETT WHITELEY, WITH WHOM HE SHARED A LOVE OF ART AND DRUGS. TWO BOOKS WERE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERS. 'THE FATAL SHORE', ABOUT THE HARSH LIFE OF CONVICTS, AND 'THE SHOCK OF THE NEW', A SURVEY OF MODERN ART, BOTH FORMING THE BASIS OF SUCCESSFUL TELEVISION SERIES. HE MARRIED THREE TIMES, AND HIS PRIVATE LIFE WAS AS COLOURFUL AS HIS PUBLIC ONE. WELL, I'VE CERTAINLY MADE A FOOL OUT OF MYSELF AS A HUSBAND AND AS A LOVER. WITH WORK AND FAMILY TIES HERE, HE MADE FREQUENT TRIPS TO AUSTRALIA. IN LATER YEARS, THEY WERE MARRED BY TRAGEDY. IN 1999, HUGHES WAS NEARLY KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT NEAR BROOME. THREE YEARS LATER, DANTON, HIS ONLY CHILD, COMMITTED SUICIDE. DANTON WAS THE BIG FAILURE OF MY EMOTIONAL LIFE. HE WAS AWARDED HONORARY DEGREES, AN ORDER OF AUSTRALIA AND WAS DECLARED A LIVING NATIONAL TREASURE. HIS WIFE, DORIS, WAS WITH HIM WHEN HE DIED IN HOSPITAL IN THE BRONX. JUST AHEAD ` NICK WILLIS RUNS FOR GOLD IN A FEW HOURS ` WHY AN ATHLETIC GREAT BELIEVES HE COULD WIN. AND I'LL BE BACK WITH A HEAVY RAIN WARNING FOR WEDNESDAY. OUR HOPES OF TRACK-AND-FIELD GOLD ARE PINNED ON NICK WILLIS IN THE 1500M TOMORROW MORNING. HE'S RATED A TOP CHANCE BY THE MAN THE FOSBURY FLOP IS NAMED AFTER. HERE'S OLYMPICS REPORTER CRAIG STANAWAY. NICK WILLIS KNOWS THE 1500M FINAL TOMORROW MORNING HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE CAREER-DEFINING. THE BEIJING SILVER MEDALLIST CAN LEGITIMATELY BE MENTIONED ALONGSIDE THE ALL-TIME GREATS OF LOVELOCK, SNELL AND WALKER IF HE WINS. THE MORE PREPARATION I CAN DO TONIGHT SO THAT I WAKE UP NOT FEELING STIFF AND SORE JUST HELPS KEEP YOU IN THAT FOCUS, THAT BELIEF THAT YOU'RE THE MAN. THIS KIND OF TALK IMPRESSES DICK FOSBURY, WHO'S BEEN MONITORING THE AMERICAN-BASED KIWI. THE MAN WHO REVOLUTIONISED THE HIGH JUMP IN 1968 SAYS IT CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND. IN THE FINALS AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES, IT'S 90% MENTAL, IT'S 10% PHYSICAL. LOOK AT THE PEOPLE. IT'S GOING TO PACKED FOR WILLIS'S RACE TOMORROW MORNING. HE'S RECORDED THE FOURTH-FASTEST TIME THIS YEAR. THREE KENYANS HAVE RUN FASTER. THEY'RE IN THE RACE. FOSBURY SAYS IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. MY TEAMMATE AL OERTER WON FOUR OLYMPIC GAMES IN A ROW, SET FOUR OLYMPIC RECORDS IN A ROW. HE WAS NEVER THE FAVOURITE. IT PROVED THAT HE WAS MENTALLY TOUGH. BUT IT'S NOT JUST WILLIS' MENTAL TOUGHNESS THAT FOSBURY SAYS WILL GET HIM OVER THE LINE. COMING BACK FROM BEING A SILVER MEDALLIST, HE'S BEEN HERE BEFORE. HE HAS THAT ADVANTAGE OF EXPERIENCE. AND THE 29-YEAR-OLD IS TALKING LIKE A MAN WHO'S READY. YOU REALLY WANT THE DAY OF THE RACE, FROM THE SECOND YOU WAKE UP, TO FEEL LIKE YOU ARE A LEAN, MEAN ATHLETE, READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD. IN 12 HOURS' TIME HE'LL BE DOING JUST THAT. CRAIG STANAWAY, ONE NEWS, LONDON. BEVAN DOCHERTY, KRIS GEMMELL, AND RYAN SISSONS HAVE STARTED THEIR MEDAL HUNT IN THE MEN'S TRIATHLON. BECAUSE OF HIS WORLD RANKING KRIS GEMMELL COULD CHOOSE WHEN HE STARTED FROM AND HE CHOSE TO STAY CLOSE TO THE FAVOURITES IN THE OPENING STAGES OF THE SWIM. BY THE FIRST TURN THE FIELD WAS SPREAD OUT AFTER A BRISK START FROM THE SWIM LEG FAVOURITES, THE KIWIS WELL PLACED IN THE PACK. SLOVAKIA'S RICHARD VARGA AND SPAIN'S JAVIER GOMEZ SET A SIZZLING PACE IN THE WATER, BUT TEAM GB'S BROWNLEE BROTHERS, STRONGLY TOUTED AS FAVOURITES FOR MEDALS, WERE RIGHT ON THEIR HEELS. VARGA AND GOMEZ WERE THE FIRST OUT OF THE WATER. BEVAN DOCHERTY EXITED IN 22ND PLACE WITH KRIS GEMMELL RIGHT BEHIND HIM. WEATHER TIME NOW WITH RENEE. HI EVERYONE, WEDNESDAY LOOKS LIKE A TROUGH DAY WITH RAIN OR SHOWERS EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF THE COUNTRY. WITH A HEAVY RAIN WARNING IN PLACE FOR SOUTH CANTERBURY AND NORTH OTAGO RAINFALL SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE EAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND OVERNIGHT AND DURING WEDNESDAY, AS A RAIN BEARING FRONT WRAPS AROUND THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ON TO THE EAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. STRONG ONSHORE EASTERLY FLOW AFFECTS THE EAST OF THE SOUTH ISLAND FROM CANTERBURY SOUTH AS THOSE ISOBARS PINCH UP SOUTH OF THE FRONT. THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THIS FRONT HEADS OFF TO THE EAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND BY DAWN WEDNESDAY. SO RAIN CLEARS OFF THE EAST COAST THEN. HOWEVER, WATCH AS THAT BIG TROUGH LINE COMES IN OVER THE NORTH ISLAND ON WEDNESDAY FROM THE TASMAN SEA, AS THIS SIGNALS THE ARRIVAL OF UNSTABLE ACTIVE SHOWER CLOUD WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN TOW. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND THAT'S YOUR WEATHER. I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW. THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. POMARIE, GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY PIPPA JEFFERIES AND SAM BRADFORD CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR.