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Left: NZ Rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala photographed at intersection of Pukerewa Road and Waikaretu Valley Roadafter a tyre rotation stop on the touring stage between Baker and Te Akau on Day 2.

Finn Jari-Matti Latvala sealed victory on Rally New Zealand today after a thrilling last day battle that went right to the end of the final stage.

The Ford Focus RS driver began the decisive Whaanga Coast test 6.2 sec behind rally leader Ogier, but edged ahead in the final sector when Ogier spun his Citroen C4 three corners before the finish.

Ogier went on to finish second, 2.4 seconds behind Latvala, while defending World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb - who also spun on the stage - was third, 15.2 seconds off the lead.

Petter Solberg's final stage bid for victory ended in disaster, when the Norwegian drove off the road and crashed his Citroen into an electricity pylon. Petter and co-driver Phil Mills were uninjured.

Rally results links on wrc.com:

Follow these links to see the Rally New Zealand stage times. To analyse the split times click here.

The following links will take you to the Rally New Zealand daily start lists, timetable, entry list and maps.

Once again Waikaretu has been host to the World Rally Championship. The best rally drivers in the world took on dual sessions of 3 stages through Franklin and sped at 200kph down roads we travel at 50kph if we are in a hurry and feeling brave.

The entire Waikaretu community got out and supported the rally in various ways, either by helping out as marshals, turning up and giving a hand at the cafe or just by wandering down to the front gate and marveling a the speed and skills of drivers like Sebastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen, Petter Solberg and Dani Sordo.

The Franklin stage takes up Day 2 of the rally and it saw 6 times world champion Sebastien Loeb in what he described as 'the best driving of his career' pull back a 1.20 deficit after T-boning his Citroen into a bridge on Day 1 to take the lead at the end of Day 2.

Between special stages 11/15 (Baker) and 12/16 (Te Akau Coast) the drivers used the intersection at Pukerewa Road and Waikaretu Valley road to do a tyre rotation. Local photographers took advantage of this and scored some up close and personal photos of the superstars of world rally driving. The photos are available in the galley.

The Rally was won by Finnish driver Jari-Matti Latvala in the Ford Focus but it took the final stage at Raglan on the famous Whaanga Coast.