Summary: A selection of news and interviews of the past week including: the country's biggest year for tourism in a decade; six New Zealanders among 70 people stuck in ice off East Antarctica; New Zealanders paying almost a third more for some phone and internet deals than average for developed countries; home loan interest increases "just the beginning"; Whakatane community rallying around two bashed German tourists; Auckland pensioners fear being kicked out of home by Housing NZ; Christmas shoppers make record purchases; ecologist says New Zealanders not getting true picture of how dirty the country's rivers and streams are; Steve Williams shocked at dumping of Lydia Ko's coach; and a scientific look at Santa's trip through New Zealand.
