Shane Gilchrist

Logs, driftwood and other flotsam in Lake Dunstan are expected to remain for at least five days, meaning those in boats - of all sizes - should take care.

Any reduction in bee numbers could sting.

Tami Neilson, a two-time winner of the New Zealand ''Best Country Album'' award (Tui) and no stranger to the genre having grown up in a family steeped in string-band music, once recalled an essential songwriting tip passed from father to daughter:

Karaoke and musicals? The influences of Wanaka-based singer-songwriter Liv McBride might not closely align with the alt-country and folkish strains of Into The East's debut album, Fight From The Inside, yet it is clear she has spent more than a few years honing her voice and her craft.

In Kon-Tiki, a pair of film-makers attempt to go beyond the headlines of Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl's epic 1947 Pacific Ocean voyage and get to the heart of the man, writes Shane Gilchrist.

A long time coming, the latest album by The Phoenix Foundation also requires a lengthy listen, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Award-winning Dunedin songwriter Matt Langley's latest album is the result of plenty of hours spent at his craft, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Amid reports of changes to children's tax, the benefits of an out-of-school job seem to have been overlooked. Shane Gilchrist reports.

Mike Oldfield's 1973 epic Tubular Bells has provided a pair of multi-tasking Australians with a rather large musical challenge, writes Shane Gilchrist.

It might shine a light on a slice of New Zealand's past, but a Stewart Island archaeological project could also make history, writes Shane Gilchrist.

A ''fierce, free man'', American blues singer Bill ''Watermelon Slim'' Homans has covered plenty of ground in his life, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Is home a place you come from or do you carry it inside you wherever you go in life? New Zealand director Alyx Duncan's feature film debut, The Red House, attempts to get to the heart of the matter, writes Shane Gilchrist.

As cycling hums in the Wakatipu area, Shane Gilchrist ponders the work of some of the passionate souls who make riding possible in the first place.

New Zealand rap pioneer Dean Hapeta has found an outlet for his political beliefs - and those of others - in some far-flung places, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Paul Kelly is heading this way with a brand-new album tucked under his arm. The acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter discusses inspiration and observations with Shane Gilchrist.

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler's 40-year career has had its fair share of highs and lows. As his band prepares for a one-off New Zealand concert in Dunedin next month, the self-proclaimed Demon of Screamin' discusses fame, family, feuds and falling down a few holes with Shane Gilchrist.

American actor, director and writer Crispin Hellion Glover, the headline act at next month's Dunedin Fringe Festival, prefers to use his roles in Hollywood blockbusters as a launching pad for more experimental films, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Brimful of artists, both raw and slightly more refined, the Dunedin Fringe Festival requires its audiences to take a risk now and again, writes Shane Gilchrist.

Amid all this talk of housing affordability (or unaffordability), do we need to regard our homes in a different light? A renovation of the mind perhaps? Shane Gilchrist reports.  

Jon Toogood is enjoying life as a musical chameleon. Shane Gilchrist discusses Shihad, showmanship and new outfit the Adults with the enduring artist.