Over the next ten days - 3news.co.nz will publish its top ten New Zealanders of the year. They are in no particular order and we have tried to select people from varying backgrounds - the common theme is that they have, in one way or another, gone above and beyond the call of duty.
Opinion by Jerram Watts
His name is Paul Temple.
Head scratching may ensue for some readers here; Mr Temple is not exactly world famous in New Zealand – but he should be.
Yes, this man was hailed a hero after dragging a boy from a burning container on November 20.
The boy was lucky to get away with bad burns after the accelerant-filled container he and three friends had been smoking in caught fire.
Read the story here