It was a wild wintry day, as forecast. The heavy rain, heavy snow and gales closed schools and roads, causing power cuts and traffic chaos. We're not quite out of the woods just yet. And I'll have a few more warnings for you, but also a much brighter forecast for tomorrow. Right now, it's 6 o'clock. Due to the live nature of ONE News we apologise for the lack of captions for some items. This is ONE News, with Wendy Petrie and Peter Williams. From red zone to white-out. Tonight, the new troubles for our quake-hit city as it's smothered in a blanket of snow. It's hardly cosy in the country either. See how farmers are coping in the chaos. Also a dad's distress at his parting words with a son who drowned in the Easy Rider sinking. And one final look at how the Queen got by celebrating without her husband at her side. Thousands face a freezing night without power, even though the worst of a big snow dump is now over. It's left a huge mess around large chunks of the South Island, causing crashes and closing schools. Shortly Karen Olsen updates us on the wintry blast. But first our blanket coverage, including Lorelei Mason standing by in rural Canterbury. We kick off, though, in Christchurch City with Ali Pugh. IT STARTED SNOWING AT 8AM IT'S BEEN COMING THICK AND FAST SINCE THERE'VE BEEN NO SERIOUS INJURIES BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT HASN'T BEEN WITHOUT MASSIVE DISRUPTION With snow down to sea level in Christchurch, some simply hit the surf. You still feel all your limbs? Yeah, fine. Fingers a bit cold, but that's it. But back on land, the city itself was brought to a standstill. Dozens of schools, tertiary campuses and businesses closed their gates, leaving hundreds to make the most of the winter playground. They closed the campus on us. So what did you do? Well, being North Islanders, we made the most of it, and we never get to see this sort of thing, so we are getting amongst it! The big dump crippled the city's transport. Several hill roads closed, and after 13 car accidents by lunch, all the city's buses were pulled off the streets. The airport's remained open, ploughing the runway clear, but Air NZ's cancelled all flights to and from the centre, stranding thousands. Despite the snowfall, it hasn't meant the day off for construction workers inside the CBD red zone. CERA said the space is to remain open and operational. Christchurch's eastern suburbs bore the brunt of the cold. Many still have no working toilets. Instead they were forced to trudge through the sludge just to use the loo. It doesn't really bother me, you know. I mean there's people off a lot worse than me. Those living in the temporary housing units say their new homes have stood up well to the cold. Very well. It's really warm inside. It's quite beautiful. and they've been told to prepare for a snowy night with no power. That beauty, though, may have been lost on the 3500 homes that have lost electricity, and they've been told to prepare for a snowy night with no power. CREWS HAVE STOPPED REPAIR WORK FOR THE NIGHT IF YOU DON'T HAVE POWER, WRAP UP WARM AND STAY IN CONTACT WITH FAMILY STAY CLEAR OF FALLEN POWERLINSE AND TREAT AS LIVE Ali Pugh reporting from Christchurch. It's also been treacherous on the drive out of Christchurch, with the snow closing roads and schools in rural communities in north and mid-Canterbury. Joining us from State Highway 73 at Yaldhurst is Lorelei Mason. THIS WEATHER HAS AFFECTED THE ENTIRE PROVINCE SEVERAL MAJOR ROADS HAVE BEEN CLOSED I'M ON OLD WEST COAST ROAD FURTHER DOWN IS ARTHUR'S PASS WHICH IS CLOSED LAND TRANSPORT SAYS IT'S TOO DANGEROUS IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGING DAY It came thick and fast. So thick in parts of north Canterbury it was hard to see more than a few metres in front of you. Conditions that made driving treacherous. For some too treacherous. Despite police advice to stay off the roads, some chanced it anyway. This car was one of several to not make it very far. Several main roads were shut, including Arthur's and parts of the Lewis Pass, State Highway 1 north of Omihi was also marginal. Trucks and graders did their best to clear roads. Even as far as halfway down Tram Rd we got a lot of snow down there. It's cleared away a wee bit. Luckily it's not too cold with it. Locals and tourists alike took solace at home or anywhere cosy. BRITISH ACCENT: For me, great, as I have nowhere in particular to be, and I'm just going to enjoy it. The biggest concern was keeping warm. Power was out in several districts, including Springfield, Hororata and West Melton. Power lines laden with snow were at breaking point. We had three power cuts last night, so we're ready again for today. Got a generator, so we're all good. Plenty of food. Schools like this one in Oxford made the call to shut early this morning, leaving pupils to make their own fun. But for stock it was a matter of taking shelter anywhere they could. Farmers reported few losses. Most say they were prepared when it came. We were all set up yesterday, ready to go this morning, so the cows are actually generally pretty happy. Further south the snow cleared around lunchtime. These Ashburton locals made the most of a day off work. Here in Mid Canterbury, the snow's fallen to about 0.5m in some places, and although the farmers have been telling me they were ready for it and well prepared, they say they were quite surprised at how fast it swept through. Homes inland near Mt Somers were left with a heavy and picturesque dusting of white. On the West Coast it wasn't snow, but wind and rain that laid havoc. Surface flooding threatening properties this morning in Greymouth. Normally shallow creeks rose several metres in a matter of hours. 10 homes were evacuated, including a family of nine, with the wind toppling fences and trees. But for Cantabrians the main concern now is what happens next. The worst thing that could happen is if it freezes and sticks around for 10 days. All are hoping it won't. Lorelei, give us an update on the power situation in rural Canterbury tonight. SEVERAL HUNDRED HOMES STILLR REMAIN WITHOUT POWER IT'S A MATTER OF STAYING BY THE LOG BURNER WARNING - POWER AUTHORITIES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAGGING POWER LINSE STAY WELL AWAY Lorelei Mason in Yaldhurst. Further south, there's also been huge disruption to people's lives. Renee Graham with what's been happening from Timaru, inland to Fairlie and the Mackenzie Country. Early morning in the south Canterbury township of Fairlie, and the polar blast's left a blanket of snow nearly 40cm deep in some areas. The local school is closed, no one's around, and it's below zero. Oh, not too inconvenient. (LAUGHS) It stops a few things ` the schools, obviously. Early on, authorities urged motorists to avoid alpine passes and delay non-essential travel. The Lindis Pass and State Highway 8 from Fairlie to Twizel were closed for a time with icy and treacherous conditions. Over Burke's Pass and into the Mackenzie Basin farmers were feeding out and hoping. Oh, it should clear up and be a nice day. Yeah. We're hoping for that, anyway. Snow Loxton has an extra pair of hands. His son's school bus is cancelled, but that's not a novelty for Joel. It's first snow, and I don't really get to go to school very much, because going through Burke's Pass is pretty snowy. At Lake Tekapo's iconic Church of The Good Shepherd, the white's a delight for visitors. It's pretty cold, pretty cold. We're feeling the cold. And prompting some changes to travel plans. We've decided not to carry on to Queenstown, so we're just gonna have two days here. And when the afternoon skies cleared over Lake Tekapo, visitors got a rare glimpse of the transit of Venus. Renee Graham, ONE News. Now for the latest, let's go to Karen Olsen. It's certainly been an action-packed day over the South Island. Big snowfalls. Here's a few totals for you. Still snowing in north Canterbury and Marlborough, but that'll ease overnight. Some huge 24-hour rain totals as well. Some big swollen rivers in the west of the South Island 170mm for Greymouth. That rain is also easing, with the rain warnings due to cancel in a few hours. Here's how that weather looked on the rain radar today. Heavy precipitation. Rain or snow over the northern half of the South Island, lower North Island and far north. Still lots going on over the upper South Island and lower South Island. The good news is the weather will improve over the South Island tonight, but we're expecting a few centimetres of snow on the desert road tomorrow. Tell you about that later in the bulletin. Now Karen and our ONE News teams have been inundated with snow pictures. You can see them all and keep up to date with the latest weather-related information on tvnz.co.nz Our closest neighbours are tonight bracing themselves for more wild weather ripping across the east coast. Flooding has cut off towns in Victoria's Gippsland Lakes region, while gale-force winds have lashed New South Wales, causing turmoil in cities like Sydney. This from Australia correspondent Steve Marshall. The small town of Tinamba in Eastern Victoria has a big problem, isolated by rising floodwater that's threatening 200 homes tonight. She just came up like filling the bath up. High tides have swollen rivers and forced the local dam to overflow, flooding dozens of homes and factories. As floods swamp Victoria, 130km/h winds smashed New South Wales. The east coast storm cancelled flights and forced incoming planes to turn back, with toppled trees and blackouts causing chaos for peak-hour travellers. Many employers took the unusual step of sending workers home early as the Wallabies and Scotland battled the onslaught. King tides and gale-force winds combined for a record storm surge. The fury finally passed early this morning, but its effect is still being felt today. And take a look at this. Sydney Harbour is usually teeming with commuter traffic, but today it's dead quiet as those cyclonic winds wiped out many of this morning's ferry services. To have such large waves and the large tides coincide is very unusual. weather warnings for Australia's east coast remain in place. Steve Marshall, ONE News, Sydney. A plea from a father tonight to patch up any differences with your children. Colwyn Topi's son was one of the eight who drowned when the Easy Rider sank during a mutton-birding trip near Stewart Island in March. He says a coroner's inquest in Invercargill today is little consolation. Max Bania has more. Shane Topi wasn't talking to his father when he left on the Easy Rider's ill-fated voyage in March. We're just both stubborn bastards. We were both hoping that either of us would give in first, but it never happened. We were both hoping that either of us would give in first, but it never happened. Today it was confirmed the 29-year-old and seven others drowned in the freezing waters of Foveaux Strait. All I can say to anybody out there is if they're having arguments with their family, talk to them. Even though you don't like 'em, just talk to them. Shane's body and three others were found up to 16km from the wreck. None were wearing lifejackets. Four others were never found. Sole survivor Dallas Reedy clung to debris for 18 hours before the coastguard spotted him. They believe when he was uplifted he was in the final maybe 20 minutes of survivability mode. Dallas Reedy wasn't among the 20 or so family members in court. Some wept quietly as they heard evidence about their loved ones. The coroner invited them to ask questions; they remained silent. The inquest also heard the boat's life raft became wedged against a piece of metal and failed to deploy. The emergency locator beacon activated but went down inside the boat. The question must always remain whether had the authorities and the local community been aware of the sinking earlier that some other lives had been saved. A question families hope will be answered in two separate investigations due out later this year. Max Bania, ONE News. The father of Scott Guy has described the moment he first heard something bad had happened to his son. And it came from the man accused of murdering the Feilding farmer. Simon Bradwell has more. An emotionally charged moment for Bryan Guy as he recalled being comforted by a friend at the scene of his son's murder. He gave me a hug... and told me not to go and see Scotty, which was, of course, what I wanted ` to go and give him a hug. Moments before that, murder-accused Ewen Macdonald had told Bryan Guy his son had died. Earlier, Mr Macdonald had rung him at home, the first sign something was wrong. Almost incoherent. He said something along the lines that, 'Something's happened to Scott'. Ewen Macdonald's accused of killing Scott Guy with a shotgun at the gate of the farm they both worked on. I remember him saying the words 'his face', then he said, 'You better get out here.' A neighbour of Scott Guy, David Berry, had found him lying in a pool of blood. Recalling how he rang 111 and told police... My neighbour has had his bloody throat cut. Little reaction there, but in an exchange with Mr Macdonald's lawyer, David Berry says it was very different when the accused arrived at the murder scene. < Looked upset? Very upset, yes. David Berry says he had thought the murder was mistaken identity and he was the intended target because of an incident in his past. He also recalled how an unsavoury stranger reeking of alcohol and cigarettes once came to his house looking for Scott Guy. Yeah, I thought he was a little big funny, so I` I didn't really give him any information. The defence says there's no doubt that Scott Guy was murdered, but police have the wrong man. Simon Bradwell, ONE News. And one of the jurors stood down today, so the trial will continue with an 11-strong jury. Veteran broadcaster Paul Holmes is recovering after open heart surgery today. His family has told ONE News the operation at Auckland City Hospital went as planned. He's expected to be off work for some months. The Queen's described a huge display of affection for her 60-year reign as a 'humbling experience'. After four days of celebrations, she had this to say in a televised address in Britain.. I will continue to treasure and draw inspiration from the countless kindnesses shown to me in this country and throughout the Commonwealth. With more, here's Europe correspondent Garth Bray. This was a day for royal celebration, religious devotion and one obvious regret. The Queen reviewed the crowds lining her route without the consort who's been beside her for all 60 years of her reign. TRUMPET FANFARE Last seen on the Thames on Sunday, Prince Philip was still in hospital with an infection to his urinary tract. CHOIR SINGS If the Queen was preoccupied with that bad news, she was giving no sign at St Paul's for a service she and her husband had worked on in detail. The Prime Minister and his wife were among the guests. John Key is keen to invite the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to visit. Kate's very much got a visit to NZ in her sights, so hopefully we'll be able to welcome the young royals down there at some point. The Prime Minister makes no secret of his admiration for the Queen, something shared by this multitude on the mall. Support for the monarchy in Britain is running at over 80%, according to one poll. Hip, hip... ALL: Hooray! CROWD CHEERS After four days of celebration, though, it's back to work for Britain and its leaders. The bunting here at number 10 Downing St is dripping wet, and the jubilee party is well and truly over. Inside, Prime Minister John Key will be meeting with his Canadian and UK counterparts to discuss the real problems affecting this area. John Key and David Cameron clearly have a close relationship, but both countries have plenty on their plates ` massive debts to pay down and economic challenges ahead. They may be able to do little more than commiserate with each other over dinner. Garth Bray, ONE News, London. And US president Barack Obama's sent a jubilee message to the Queen, emphasising the historic ties between the two countries. Mr Obama was hosted by the Queen last year, THE US AND THE UK HAVE SHARED A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WE STOOD TALL AND STRONG AND TOGETHER WE FACED SOME OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES THIS WORLD HAS KNOWN AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE, THE BONDS BETWEEN OUR NATIONS ARE INDISPENSIBLE Mr Obama was hosted by the Queen last year, a rare honour for a US president. Ahead on ONE News ` should child abusers be allowed to breed? We have reaction to a hard-line government suggestion. Tracked down to this toilet ` another inmate escapes from a privately-run prison. And that fascinating little dot on the sun ` We have better rules around animal abuse than child abuse according to the Minister of Social Development. Paula Bennett's proposing new powers that could prevent serious child abusers from having any contact with children. But critics say they'll do nothing to protect vulnerable children. Here's political reporter Michael Parkin. This mother's now serving a seven and a half year sentence for the torture and abuse of her two children, and Paula Bennett says that's a good enough reason for the Government to stop her and others like her from having any more. We should tell them, perhaps, that we will be removing all future children at birth; that they can't work with or be in a house with children. We do it with dogs. Paula Bennett's proposals would target both male and female child abusers. CYFS can already take children from mothers at birth if there is a serious risk and if there are no other options, but a judge should not be making future decisions about a woman and her body and her reproductive rights. But the Social Development Minister's ruling out forced sterilization. Not talking about sterilisation, which I've heard some of the extremes going on about. But we are saying that, actually, we've had enough and there needs to be some tougher sanctions. I'm not completely convinced by her denial. I'm sure that they have considered forced sterilization in the past, which is a very extreme policy. Last month Paula Bennett caused a stir by announcing a million-dollar programme to provide free contraception to beneficiaries and their teenage daughters. I think this is a slippery step on the road to eugenics. Where do you draw the lines and how do you implement it? If she's not talking about forced sterilization, what is she talking about? Forced abortion, perhaps? The Minister says more details on just who may lose the right to have kids will be in a discussion paper released later this year. Michael Parkin, ONE News. The country's only private prison could be facing another hefty fine after an inmate escaped while visiting an Auckland clinic. Serco, which manages Mt Eden Jail has already been fined several times for performance failures. This from Lisa Owen. Freedom was short-lived and ended rather unceremoniously when police dogs sniffed out the escaped prisoner in this Epsom outhouse. The inmate bolted from two guards who were taking him back to prison from Greenlane Clinic. ONE News understands the prisoner was here at a clinic because he had a stab wound under one of his eyes. Now, by the time he escaped from a car park here, he was minus his handcuffs. The prisoner was on the run for just 30 minutes, but critics say Serco had good reason to put more resources into guarding him. They know this prisoner has previous escape attempts, so they should be taking steps to make sure it doesn't happen. Serco's managing director says,... This financial year it's already been fined... $150,000 for an earlier prison escape, $25,000 for accidently releasing an inmate early and another $50,000 for failing to file performance reports. And another $25,000 fine is pending for releasing another prisoner early. This latest escape could cost it an additional $150,000, potentially bringing total fines to $400,000. They are not meeting any of their targets. We should be concerned. The Minister of Corrections has issued a statement simply saying that this is not good enough. Lisa Owen, ONE News. China and Russia have made it clear There's been another big fire in the capital of Qatar, this time at the construction site for a luxury hotel. 10 workers have been rescued so far, but it's feared up to 25 others may be trapped. Officials say the fire is now under control. It's just over a week since a blaze at a Doha mall killed 19 people, including triplets from NZ. There was a rare event in our skies today and thousands of people around the country were hoping for a glimpse. The transit of Venus, when the planet passes between the Earth and the sun, only happens once in 100 years. Charlotte Whale has more. At the Auckland Stardome, all eyes were on the sky. It's been just such an incredibly cool experience to see this. It's extraordinary. During the brief pockets of sun... It's gone again. ...this is what they got to see. Looking just like a beauty spot on the face of the sun, Venus took around six hours to make its way across. Down south at Mt John Observatory, sky gazers braved the cold climates and were rewarded. Ah, yes, I can see. It'll be another 105 years until Venus does this again. It's a rare opportunity for astonomers, who are measuring small dips in the sun's brightness to map new planets beyond our solar system. We can now go and extrapolate that out to the stars that are in the night-time sky, and we can measure that tiny drop in brightness and infer that there are planets orbiting around those stars there now. Scientists have been studying the event for centuries. In 1769 dozens of explorers were sent across the globe to record it. It's described as the Apollo effort of its time. One of those explorers was James Cook. He was dispatched to Tahiti, and it was on that expedition that he first discovered NZ. Over on the east coast close to where Captain Cook landed, crowds in Tolaga Bay were left happy with a great view. But at quarter to 5, Venus neared the end of its crossing, and it was goodbye for another century. Charlotte Whale, ONE News. Weather time now. Is that wintry weather set to ease tonight, Karen? Yes, it is. Good news. It's been a short, sharp hit, but conditions are definitely easing. Still a few more heavy falls for these areas over the next few hours, but the warning will expire at 9pm. Watch in place for periods of heavy rain about the eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne tonight. Maybe a few more centimetres of snow for North Canterbury before easing this evening. 5-10cm for Marlborough before easing overnight. Still need to be extremely careful on the high country roads and passes. Some more snow for Lewis, Arthur's and Porter's Pass tonight. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz I'll be back with a much brighter Thursday forecast for you after sport. Up next on ONE News ` what NZers think about same-sex marriage ` the results of our poll. We explain how the sex life of shellfish could be affected by the Rena disaster. And who'll be making a star turn at the Hobbit world premiere in Wellington? Are we ready to embrace gay marriage? We want the same rights as every other NZer. Tonight ` the surprisingly shift in public opinion. Plus ` you might like the idea of working in Oz, but do most Australians even want you there? Bringing cheaper labour from overseas to work in our mines. They don't give a rat's <BLEEP> about Australian workers. Close Up at 7, TV ONE. Hello? Guys, my throat's killing me. Don't let a sore throat hold you back. MAN: Not all throat lozenges are the same. Strepsils is clinically proven to both soothe and effectively relieve the pain and discomfort by coating deep down in your throat where it hurts. Let's do it! Whoo! Strepsils ` deep-down relief for sore throats. WOMAN: Combine New Zealand's trusted brands so you don't lose a day. 1 The Prime Minister says he's not against gay marriage, and it seems a clear majority of NZers agree. Political reporter Jessica Mutch has been sampling opinion in our latest ONE News Colmar Brunton poll. Lee Suckling is 26 and gay, and one day he wants to get married. What's being asked for is marriage equality, so we want the same rights as every other NZer. Right now, same-sex couples can enter into a civil union, but are not able to get married. So we asked, 'Do you think same-sex couples should be able to get married?' 63% say yes, 31% say no, and 6% don't know or prefer not to say. I think the climate is ready now for the introduction of same-sex marriage into NZ. Green MP Holly Walker had a civil union last year. She chose not to get married if homosexual couples can't. We didn't want to be part of an institution that our gay friends and family couldn't be part of, and so because civil unions are open to all kinds of couples, that seemed an appropriate choice. But not everyone is ready for change. The whole idea of marriage seems to be associated with the procreation and raising of children, and that's a relationship that requires a man and a woman. Some MPs are pushing for the issue of gay marriage to be debated here at Parliament, but the bill will have to be drawn out of the ballot before that can happen. The issue was put on the political agenda with the US president's endorsement last month. Ben Summerskill, who works for the British charity Stonewall said it best. He said, 'My best advice to anyone who doesn't believe in same-sex marriage 'is not to get married to someone of the same sex.' For Lee Suckling, it's about everyone having the choice. Jessica Mutch, ONE News. The Bay of Plenty coastline has all but recovered from the Rena oil spill last year, but it's possible marine life may not have got off so lightly. There's concern some species may not be able to reproduce, and a long term study's been commissioned. Kim Vinnell has more. Master's student Matt Powell knows it's unusual work testing the behaviour of shellfish. Once they've sat in there for a while, they'll decide whether or not they'll want to bury again. And while this lot play the game, next time researchers expect to see something different when they add to the tanks heavy fuel oil and dispersant used in the Rena clean-up. They can affect the reproduction of the fish, so even though the fish may be alive, its inability to reproduce means that you're not going to get any continuation of the species. On the shoreline work's underway as well. Oil per cent cover? 0.1. Teams have been out monthly monitoring areas worst hit by oil. Initial results show the toxicity levels of many areas are almost back to normal. I think we are being pleasantly surprised that the reefs have gotten off fairly lightly, and that's because there's been quite effective clean-up of the remaining oil aboard the ship. The government's put nearly $1m towards this 12-month marine research programme. Several universities are involved, and they're offering scholarships to get students involved too. Several days of calm weather after the grounding has been a godsend for scientists. Divers were able to take samples from underwater reefs and will repeat the exercise this week for an accurate before-and-after comparison. Sampling, once again, to get tissue analyses to see if there's any hints of contaminants in tissue of fishes, kaimoana species, urchins and crays. It's hoped the first round of results will be out in time for the first anniversary of the grounding in four months' time. Kim Vinnell, ONE News. Hollywood stars are expected to walk the red carpet in the capital at the world premiere of the Hobbit. It's hoped lead actors Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom will be at the premiere in late November. The event's expected to be as big as the last Lord of the Rings world premiere in 2003, which drew thousands of fans. Looking at our top stories tonight ` the first big snow dump of the winter has left thousands of Cantabrians without power. Schools and businesses closed throughout the region, and there was major disruption for motorists and air travellers. The Mackenzie Basin was also affected, but farmers are reporting few stock losses. A coroner's hearing into the deaths of eight people in Foveaux Strait has confirmed that drowning was the cause of death. Four bodies haven't been found after the sinking of the Easy Rider. The court heard the boat's liferaft failed to deploy after it became wedged under a piece of metal. Andrew's here with sport, and a major break for boxer Shane Cameron? HE'S SIGNED A DEAL IN EUROPE More on Cameron's new deal next. Also tonight, Robbie Deans feels the squeeze, as the Scots do the unthinkable and perform their own braveheart. Plus, who's helping out the new All Blacks backs coach? Roger and Novak need help in Paris. And we take you from the heat in Honiara to Miami There's been an incredible new development in the lead-up to boxer Shane Cameron's career-defining fight against American Monte Barrett in four weeks. Cameron will now spar with former heavyweight champion David Haye as build up to the make or break bout. Here's Craig Stanaway. Heavyweight champion of the world... It sounds too good to be true. Less than a month away from Shane Cameron's fight with Monte Barrett, David Haye's camp has come calling, requesting the Kiwi jump a flight to England to help him to prepare for his upcoming grudge bout with Dereck Chisora. I can't get that sparring anywhere else. You know, that's some solid rounds. You know, it doesn't matter where you go. You can't even pay for that, you know. You couldn't even bring that guy down here. Instantly the biggest problem facing Cameron is solved. Until now he was relying on sparring locals. This changes everything. In Shane's career we've had a lot of bad luck, Craig, but it's nice to have some good luck for a change and, you know, this has been perfect timing. It's a little bit better. Ooh! Great left hook. What a shot. Barrett goes down! He fought Barrett. He knocked Barrett over five times and stopped him within seven rounds, I think it was. And there he goes with the left hook and inner right! And he's down again, Barrett! He knows how to beat Barrett. At the same time, it's a great opportunity for me to go and do some solid rounds with one of the best heavyweights in the world. Training with the big names is nothing new. Seven years ago he sparred Tyson. I took a lot of confidence out of that, and it's carried me through to where I am today. Obviously this is a major confidence boost. He leaves Friday. He'll return a week before the Barrett fight, undoubtedly a better boxer. Craig Stanaway, ONE News. The Wallabies' shock rugby loss to Scotland has only intensified pressure on coach Robbie Deans. In Scottish-like conditions, Australia's lost 9-6 in Newcastle. So has Deans lost his grip on his team? Blair Norton reports. On paper, hardly a contest. In the howling wind and rain it was something else. Over it goes. Boil over. The Scots' 9-6 victory induced a head-splitting headache, but not of the boozy kind, and leaving Wallabies coach Robbie Deans feeling under the weather. It's a tough one to swallow. Got to give credit to Scotland, you know. They had one possession in our 22 in the second half, and they turned it into points. And it's not the first shocker for Deans' Wallabies either. Remember last year's 32-23 loss to Manu Samoa? Too good. The big man will score the first try. Under Deans, the Wallabies have won just under 60% of their Test matches. The All Blacks during the same period won more than 80% of theirs, including last year's World Cup final. I have never seen conditions like this in Australia for a Test match ever. Scotland were right at home, using the wind to pin Australia in their own half before kicking their chances. And he has struck it brilliantly. Great kick. Australia even more dominant in the second half, but squandering their opportunities. We could have and should have put the game beyond doubt. We didn't, and that left the door ajar. Deans needs a dramatic turnaround against Wales to avoid the door slamming shut on his tenure. Blair Norton, ONE News. One man who's about to enter the cauldron of international coaching is steeling himself for the extra pressure. But he's had a well-known sounding board to help prepare the All Blacks for the first Test of the year. From slipping on his new black tracksuit to working with the best of the best ` it's all sinking in. To get the suit out this morning and put it on was... I must admit I had a look in the mirror. And the former Waikato first-five (47) has had to do that in the past. Many still point the finger at Foster for the Chiefs' lack of success during his eight-year reign as coach. There were times when I got a few scars on your back, so it certainly was good training, but that's coaching, in some ways. Foster reveals helping him this year through the initial challenges is former All Blacks backs coach Wayne Smith, ironically now with the Chiefs. Smithie's been outstanding in terms of being there as a sounding board and sharing what he's done with the backs in the past. So you've spoken to him quite a lot? Oh, at length, you know. And, you know, I think it's a` It's a mark of the man, really ` the way he's passed on information. The biggest test bringing through new starters like Aaron Smith and Julian Savea and using midfield ball runners. I think teams that are doing well have basically got big, strong b got ig, strong ball 8 carriers, mainly i who get over that game line early, and, you know, it's something that I'm looking forward to in this team. The new coaches confirm their first starting 15 tomorrow morning. That's when the real heat steps up for all involved. The Warriors are rallying around embattled Manu Vatuvei who's coming under increased criticism for his error rate. The big winger has now made an alarming 26 errors this year. The average NRL player makes around five. I don't really want to give it any more airtime than what it's already been given. It's` I can't see what the big fuss is about, so, yeah, I'll just leave it at that. Vatuvei is in the team to play Penrith on Monday. Rafael Nadal will be rubbing his hands together. His two major rivals at the French Tennis Open. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, have struggled in their quarter-finals. The world number one was at times bewildered,... angry,... pushed to his limit. Just a few hundred metres away, the world number three wasn't exactly his normal cool self either. It's not usually this hard for the likes of Federer and Djokovic to reach the semi-finals. But France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was fired up to impress his home crowd. CROWD ROARS Djokovic won the first set, but it was Tsonga that dictated the second third and fourth. The match was in his grasp with four match points. CROWD ROARS There was only one way out for Djokovic. Every match point I've played very aggressive, and that's the style that I have to perform. That aggression pulled him through, Tsonga with nothing left in the final two sets. Roger Federer had beaten Juan Martin del Potro five times in a row before this, but was forced to come back from two sets down. On the ropes here. He even screamed at the crowd to shut up at one point. In the third set he ditched his anger and regained his composure, winning the last two sets 6-0, 6-3. Dominika Cibulkova thinks her opponent Sam Stosur would be better off in the men's draw. She says playing Stosur's topspin and serve is like playing a man, and she couldn't compete, losing 6-4, 6-1. Stosur will meet Sara Errani in the first of the semi-finals. Toni Street, ONE News. The famous Boston Celtics are on the verge of tipping out the Miami Heat from the NBA's Eastern Conference finals. Rajon Rondo instigated the upset on Miami's home court, as the Celtics went on a 15-1 scoring run at the end of the third quarter. Boston led 65-60 going into the fourth. Usual suspects LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were masking Miami's weak defensive effort, and with time running out, Boston made the most of the 50-50 balls. Back to Pierce. It's gone! He comes right back and the Celtics go up by two. Pierce for three. It's good! Paul Pierce from way downtown. 94-90 victory gave them the series lead 3-2, and just as importantly, game six is back in Boston on Friday. The All Whites have had a wake-up call in their latest match at the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in the Solomon Islands. NZ's already through to Friday's semi-finals, but weren't convincing against the hosts, despite taking the early lead. NZ have opened the scoring on 14 minutes. It's Chris Wood. Benjamin Totori sending the home crowd into delirium, with his second-half equaliser. Totori giving the All Whites nervous moments with seconds to go. Final score 1-1. The disabled golfer who once took the US PGA through a long legal battle for the right to use a cart will be driving one on the fairways of next week's US Open. American Casey Martin (40) played a miracle 36 holes at a qualifying tournament in Oregon to earn the right to play at the Olympic course in San Francisco. The qualifier was right here ` kind of my backyard ` so I just thought it was the right time to try. I hadn't tried in five years and thought 'why not?' and I'm glad I did. Martin has a birth defect which restricts blood flow in his leg, making it painful to walk and the bone susceptible to fracture. His return to the major he last played at in 1998 and was greeted enthusiastically by his old University mate, Tiger Woods. Tiger tweeted, 'Just incredible ability, attitude and guts. See you at the Olympic course, Casey.' Thanks, sport. After the break, Karen has a warning about more rough weather, but things are looking up. Tonight on Close Up ` nearly two-thirds of us support it. We want the same rights as every other Nzer. So is it time to give gay marriage the green light? Broadcaster Ali Mau tells us why a civil union is not enough. And if you want to work across the ditch At OPSM, we use precision technology to look deep in the eye, helping us better detect eye disease such as glaucoma ` just one of the ways we look deeper. Talk to OPSM about an eye-health check-up today. Hello again. Wintry day over the south island, but conditions are easing, looking a lot better tomorrow. Still be a few more heavy falls in these areas over the next few hours, but the warning will expire at 9pm. Watch in place for periods of heavy rain about the eastern Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne overnight. Maybe a few more centimetres of snow for North Canterbury before easing this evening, and 5-10cm for Marlborough before easing overnight. Still need to be extremely careful on the high country roads and passes. Some more snow for Lewis, Arthur's and Porter's pass tonight and tomorrow on the Milford Road. And the Desert Road could get 2-5cm from early tomorrow morning till around lunchtime. The Rimutaka Hill Road has just been added to this list. Maybe up to 5cm falling. South-easterly gales are also easing in these areas this evening. Here's the view from the satellite. Lots of frontal cloud over us and out to the east. The snow and rain falling from this band over the South Island. See the skies clearing in behind it as a narrow ridge pushes in. Watch out for frosts tonight. Another surge of frigid air and icy showers heading our way behind this front. This whole messy trough of lows and fronts is moving east and should lie clear of us by midday tomorrow. Chilly southerly flow spreading up the country in its wake. This next front moves on to the far south at night. Cold winds behind it. A few morning showers for the far south of the South Island with some now flurries above 300m. Mostly fine everywhre else after a frosty start in sheltered places. Rain develops in fiordland in the afternoon and spreads into southern Westland in the evening. Cold south-wester giving way to north to north-west winds, and it's improving over the North Island too. Rain clears in the south. Still a few snow flurries above 600m though. Rain eases to showers in the east and then gradually clears. Any remaining showers over the rest of the island should also fizzle out. Cool southerly winds tending northerly in the south in the evening. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz And that's ONE News for Wednesday.