Tourist rates garden highly
Tourist rates garden highly
An Austrian backpacker gate-crashed an official function at the Chinese garden in Dunedin yesterday.
John Lewis
School bands competing to be next big name
School bands competing to be next big name
The Smokefree rockquest has turned school bands like Opshop and Evermore into superstars of the radio waves during the past 20 years.
School boards to be stood down
School boards to be stood down
A commissioner and members of the community who were appointed to run the boards of trustees at Caversham and Waitati Schools for the past four years will be stood down, the Ministry of Education has announced.
Helping hand wanted for struggling horse haven
Helping hand wanted for struggling horse haven
Lack of funds, feed and volunteers has left a Waitati-based haven for neglected horses struggling to look after the animals it has vowed to nurse back to health.
Piles placed for new jetty
Piles placed for new jetty
The first piles for the new Purakaunui community jetty were installed yesterday - two years after the structurally unstable old jetty was dismantled.
Arson attack has pupils hopping mad
Arson attack has pupils hopping mad
Pupils at Mornington School in Dunedin are hopping mad after an arsonist set fire to their playground equipment.
ORC building cost blows out $6m
ORC building cost blows out $6m
Despite a 50% increase in the estimated cost of the proposed new Otago Regional Council (ORC) office building, to $18 million, chief executive Graeme Martin claims it will not have a significant impact on Otago ratepayers.
Dunedin beaches seriously eroded
Dunedin beaches seriously eroded
Parts of Dunedin's St Clair and Middle beaches have again been seriously eroded by heavy seas which have pounded the coast during the past month.
Principals dismiss Greens’ school food fears
Principals dismiss Greens’ school food fears
Many schools will get a fail grade under the new Food and Nutrition for Healthy Confident Kids guidelines
War memorial returned anonymously
War memorial returned anonymously
A small piece of Forbury School's long lost memorial gates in Melbourne St, South Dunedin, has been found and returned anonymously.
Twice the excitement for winner
Twice the excitement for winner
Two months after winning the Otago Regional Race Unity Speech Competition in Dunedin, Otago Girls High School pupil Crystal Diong finally got her reward.
Schools still on the radar
Schools still on the radar
Dunedin police will continue to target speeding drivers near schools this term in light of Southern Region statistics which show there were 82 injury crashes near schools during the past two years.
Otago early childhood education stretched
Otago early childhood education stretched
Nearly a year after introducing 20 hours of free early childhood education in New Zealand, the Ministry of Education seems to have become a victim of its own success, with many Otago centres struggling to meet demand for the policy.
Competition ring symbol of jeweller’s struggle
Competition ring symbol of jeweller’s struggle
A ginger-haired jeweller's struggle with adversity was inspiration for his latest ring design - Ginga: The Fire Inside
Playground opening cut short
Playground opening cut short
A pre-schooler forced Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin to cut short his speech and cut the ribbon prematurely during the official opening of a new early childhood centre playground.
Schools progress, ministry says
Schools progress, ministry says
The Ministry of Education has hit back at criticism about its perceived slow reaction to the ‘‘bulging'' schools crisis in Central Otago.
Pepper spray a come-down for youth on a roof
Pepper spray a come-down for youth on a roof
A Dunedin youth was peppersprayed by police after he allegedly tried to evade capture by climbing on to the roof of a block of flats in South Dunedin yesterday.
Secondary schools facing increasing costs
Secondary schools facing increasing costs
Otago secondary schools are beginning to feel the pinch of rising fuel prices, interest rates and utility bills, prompting the region's principals to call for the Government to increase operations grants.
School proposal attacked
School proposal attacked
Secondary school principals in Otago have criticised National leader John Key's proposal to increase funding for independent schools from $40 million a year to $70 million.
Policy aims to keep all in education until 18
Policy aims to keep all in education until 18
Preparations for implementing the Government's Schools Plus initiative in Otago have begun.