What you clicked on Stuff.co.nz in 2009

BY MICHAEL FOX

As 2009 draws to a close it's time to look back on what you've been reading in the last year of the "noughties".

While many days on Stuff.co.nz are dominated by stories about celebrities, or yarns that make you raise your eyebrows, hard news and breaking news dominated the most-clicked stories – those that received the highest number of "hits" from our readers.

So what were you reading?

Far and away the most-read story in 2009 was the Napier siege which claimed the life of police officer Len Snee.

Two stories in the ten most-clicked, including one which had over 450,000 hits, which showed readers watched intently from their computers as the drama unfolded, checking on the rolling story for regular updates from our news team.

Readers, many touched personally, also watched as the horror of the Pacific tsunami unfolded, while its impact on the psyche of the Pacific was apparent when two earthquakes in Vanuatu prompted further tsunami warnings a few weeks later.

The death of toddler Aisling Symes in Auckland tugged at the heart-strings of readers, becoming the ninth-most read story of the year.

Other tragedies included the death of Te Papa boss Seddon Bennington, who lost his life while tramping in the Tararua Ranges, while no list of biggest stories of the year would be complete without the untimely death of pop-icon Michael Jackson in June.

On a lighter note, readers enjoyed watching a Nelson artist stick it to the man, when he withdrew his life savings in $20 notes after Westpac bank refused to give him a mortgage.

You also watched in interest as a Kiwi couple fled the country with millions from the same bank. They have still not been caught.

True to the maxim that sex sells, good-time girl Lisa Lewis getting the boot from a motor racing event due to her racy outfit, the teacher who posed for Penthouse and the stories which revealed women were more interested in dating than sex and as interested in group sex as men, all piqued your interest.

The Outrageous Fortune star who revealed all in a naked television ad also gave readers an eye-full.

In the same vein but from the 'something we probably would have been better off not knowing' file - the inspirational geriatric porn star came in just outside the top 10.

Then there were the stories which probably left readers scratching their heads, including the tale of the toddler who was able to purchase a $20,000 digger on TradeMe, the woman who drank nothing but Red Bull for eight months to lose weight and the man who had a tree growing inside his lung.

Others included swine flu jokes, the 'haunted' washing machine and the police officer who wrote an offensive occupation on a woman's traffic ticket.

The most viewed photo galleries on Stuff.co.nz this year were Ouch (sport injuries), the World in photos, Sports odd shots, New Zealand Fashion Week 2009 and the Miss Universe swimsuit parade.

TOP 30 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON STUFF.CO.NZ

1. Napier siege: Gunman found dead
2. More than 110 dead in tsunami-hit Samoa
3. $190,000 withdrawn in $20 bills
4. No dating, thanks, just sex
5. Police officer shot dead in Napier
6. Michael Jackson dead
7. New Zealand authorities prepare for tsunami
8. Series of earthquakes off Vanuatu
9. Body found in hunt for Aisling
10. Topless teacher on Penthouse website
11. Geriatric porn star an inspiration for the old
12. 2009 Super 14 Standings
13. Te Papa boss Seddon Bennington found dead
14. Tree grows inside man's lung
15. Toddler buys $20,000 digger on TradeMe
16. Tua knocks out Cameron
17. Bain loses bid to keep 111 tape secret
18. Officer wrote kitchen bitch on traffic notice
19. Couple missing after $10m bank bungle
20. Woman's extreme Red Bull diet
21. Women as keen as men for group sex
22. Susan Boyle is a YouTube hit
23. Dad accused of using dog shock collar on his kids
24. Kiwi star unveiled in nude ad
25. Lisa Lewis ejected for racy outfit
26. Swine flu jokes pigs might fly
27. Scary washing machine fetches over $5000
28. Body in car as gunman flees
29. Pitt agreed to movie while drunk
30. Michael Hills invisible houses get go ahead

- © Fairfax NZ News