Queenstown-bound flight struck by lightning
A flight from Auckland to Queenstown had to turn back after it was hit by lightning shortly after take-off tonight.
Regions
Catchment chair refuses to apologise; rejects use of ‘kia ora’
Catchment chair refuses to apologise; rejects use of ‘kia ora’
A chair of a Southern council group is unrepentant about his behaviour at a recent meeting which was dubbed "disrespectful" by the council boss.
Birthday boy gets unwelcome 'present' from cops
Birthday boy gets unwelcome 'present' from cops
An Otago man was entitled to a bad case of the birthday blues when an evening drive on his special day ended with his licence being suspended.
Bring on the drones
Bring on the drones
An Australian-based company is pitching drone light shows for Queenstown over three months that’d not only be an amazing spectacle, but could potentially also drive big visitor numbers, especially...
Heavy snowfall welcome start for athletes with Winter Olympics on horizon
Heavy snowfall welcome start for athletes with Winter Olympics on horizon
Heavy snowfall has marked the start of an exciting ski season in Wānaka as New Zealand athletes work to get into peak condition with only eight months left until the Winter Olympics.
Tanked up and ready to go
Tanked up and ready to go
When the truck pulls away from Tira Crown Invercargill on Monday it will be the last time workshop manager Joe Timpany will see the 350,000 litre tanks his Invercargill team built.
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Discord over cavalcade funding allocation played down
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Discord over cavalcade funding allocation played down
Cavalcade organisers say a disagreement over fundraising distribution is a needless distraction, despite "concerning" social media posts this week.
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Campaign to improve aviary continues
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Campaign to improve aviary continues
A Southland woman, whose tireless campaigning to the Gore District Council resulted in the rehoming of peafowl, is still unhappy with the conditions of the town’s aviary.
Trio charged over burglary
Trio charged over burglary
Three men have been charged over a violent burglary in Oamaru.
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'Down the s...... at record speed'
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'Down the s...... at record speed': Pub denied licence up for sale
A Southland pub described as "putrid" by patrons is up for sale after being banned from selling alcohol.
Middlemarch cut off, cars stranded on Crown Range
Middlemarch cut off, cars stranded on Crown Range
SH87 has closed and a "handful" of vehicles are stranded on Crown Range Rd as snow starts to settle in parts of the South where warnings are in place for possible heavy falls.
Tax evader leaves $2 million trail of debt
Tax evader leaves $2 million trail of debt
A tax-evading Southland school caterer has left a $2 million trail of debt after her company went bust.
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Doubt if ORC can manage pest species
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Doubt if ORC can manage pest species
The regional council may not have the resources required to combat pests in Otago, a councillor says.
Principal resigns after long absence
Principal resigns after long absence
The under-fire principal of a troubled Otago school with a plummeting roll has resigned months after going on leave.
Hundreds of stolen pounamu pieces returned
Hundreds of stolen pounamu pieces returned
Hundreds of pieces of stolen pounamu from a remote West Coast river will be returned to the local hapū in what Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio describes as a small win against the greenstone black market.
Fate of Franz Josef southbank not ours to decide: council
Fate of Franz Josef southbank not ours to decide: council
The long-term fate of Franz Josef farms, homes and businesses on the south bank of the Waiho (Waiau) River lies with the Westland District Council. That was the message to regional councillors this week.
Pest seaweed running rife in Fiordland sounds
Pest seaweed running rife in Fiordland sounds
The rapid spread of an invasive seaweed in Fiordland waters has forced a regional council to adjust how it deals with the plant.
Right royal challenge
Right royal challenge
You could call it a one-in-a-million challenge.
Native lizards in focus
Native lizards in focus
An expert on New Zealand’s colourful native lizards — geckos and skinks — confesses she only started learning about them six years ago.
Voluntary roles proving hard to fill
Voluntary roles proving hard to fill
Queenstowners seem less willing to put their hands up for voluntary roles than before, a community arts stalwart says.