When elderly dog Billie got into difficulties swimming in Lake Wanaka on Monday, one of the town's rising swimming stars, Gus Evans (14), was on hand.
A Russian and English language speaker is being sought by Wanaka police to help them translate the diary of Auckland tramper Irina Yun (36)
The grateful family of an ageing dog that got tangled up in buoys in Lake Wanaka on Monday want to acknowledge the help they received from a teenager they only know as Gus.
Rain failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the 2000 spectators at the Wanaka Rodeo yesterday, although the crowd was about half its usual size.
A smouldering farm burn-off, lit more than six months ago, flared up yesterday and threatened a row of large trees bordering State Highway 1 between Balclutha and Milton.
Eleven searchers went back into Mt Aspiring National Park at 2.30pm yesterday to look for missing Auckland tramper Irina Yun (36) and were prepared to stay the night, if necessary.
Queenstown Lakes harbourmaster Marty Black has again appealed to Wanaka and Lake Hawea holiday-makers to look after mates, not swim alone, wear life jackets and not to drink and swim, after he warned up to 100 Clutha River users yesterday for not having life jackets.
Dunedin university student Blair Andrew Martyn (21) was swimming alone in Lake Hawea when he drowned on Tuesday and was not missed by his friends for more than six hours.
Bad weather has forced Wanaka police to postpone their search formissing Auckland tramper Irina Yun (36), who was last seen tramping alone on the Cascade Saddle Route in the Mt Aspiring National Park early on Wednesday morning.
Wanaka search and rescue volunteers recovered the body of 21-year-old Otago University student Blair Andrew Martyn from underneath the Scott's Beach pontoon at Lake Hawea around 8.30pm last night.
Wet and windy weather grounded 70 paragliding pilots in Wanaka yesterday for the start of the national paragliding championships.
Concerns are held for the safety of Auckland website designer and photographer Irina Yun (36)
The morning after a night of heavy drinking proved to be the downfall of several people in Wanaka yesterday, with 11 people processed for driving with excess breath-alcohol levels.
Look after your mates, wear life jackets and do not mix alcohol and water is the strong message from Queenstown Lakes harbourmaster Marty Black after two recent incidents he has labelled "sheer stupidity".
Holiday revellers began pouring into Wanaka and Lake Hawea yesterday, with roads busy and shops and cafes full of people.
Two Dunedin men have been the first to be arrested for breaching Wanaka's liquor ban, which covers central public areas, including the lake shore, and areas at Lake Hawea until January 5.
Petrol prices plummeted yesterday but most Wanaka boaties did not seem to notice.
The gravel extraction and processing plans of Wanaka Landfill Ltd have been drastically curtailed by a Queenstown Lakes District Council hearings panel in a decision that has highlighted the growing tensions between town and country dwellers on the outskirts of Wanaka.
Former Wanaka bank teller Shelley Anne Williamson was sentenced to nine months' home detention in the Queenstown District Court earlier this week for stealing $135,000 from the Bank of New Zealand. Reporter Marjorie Cook backgrounds the case.
A vocal group of Central Otago high country musterers takes on a tuneful team of Paekakariki surf lifesavers today in a televised singing contest that provides the winners with $10,000 for their favourite cause.