All Blacks greeted with a powerful haka by local high schools on their arrival in Dunedin Airport for their last test match against Wales

Two men plucked from Lake Wakatipu after an ill-equipped attempt to go camping on an island are lucky to be alive, Queenstown's harbourmaster says.

A firefighter rescued a woman from a tree in a flooded Otago river after a boating accident.

Amisfield is one of Queenstown's best-known wineries, and its bistro was started as a way to showcase and support its unique wine in 2005.

Alarm after tuberculosis-positive cow discovered at his farm.

A week of planning and two days of hard graft using a bulldozer was what it took to free 13 4WD vehicles stuck in the snow for a fortnight up the Old Man Range.

Owners were reported to be attempting to retrieve their snow-buried cars today, but no progress has been made.

Driving past the orchards, wineries and small agricultural towns of Otago brought to mind trips through California's Central Valley.

An Otago man who was blamed for a 72ha fire near Kurow this summer has yet to learn whether he will be forced to pay the more than $60,000 bill he received.

A group of four-wheel-drive enthusiasts trapped in snow in Central Otago planned on retrieving their vehicles with a bulldozer until authorities scuppered the scheme.

Police are hunting a driver who fled the scene after crashing through a give way sign in Otago early this morning.

A man who helped rescue stranded 4WD enthusiasts trapped in Central Otago after a snowstorm has criticised the police operation to rescue the group.

Uncertainty remains over whether the 4WD enthusiasts who were rescued from the Old Man Range on Monday will be able to claim insurance on their abandoned vehicles.

A party of off-road driving enthusiasts set out in 13 vehicles on Sunday to tackle a notorious high-country dirt track before it was closed for the winter.

A "playground" for four-wheel drive enthusiasts is how one roading manager described the Waikaia Bush road where a 4WD party was rescued yesterday.

Severe weather warnings for country - including snow in Otago region and large swells on the west coast of the South Island - mean mild autumnal days a thing of the past.

A proposed $26.3 million trail network spanning 536km will create a "Mecca" of cycle tourism, according to Prime Minister John Key.

A St John spokesman said an ambulance was called to the accident on Harington Point Rd, near Wellers Rock, just before 1pm.

A Dunedin student has undergone a successful surgery to his hands after a flat fire at 660 Castle St yesterday.

Prime Minister John Key said funding would help link up existing cycleways in Central Otago and other regions.

When Claire French was attacked and left for dead by machete-wielding robbers in Tanzania last year, her planned graduation was the last thing on her mind.

The University of Otago has announced plans for a new $50 million, five-storey animal research facility to be built at an undisclosed location.

Compared with the cauldron of scrutiny that is Parliament, club rugby seemed a walk in the park to Michael Woodhouse - or should that be run.

Dreams do come true - just ask John Hayden and Natalie Evans.

Liam Edwards, who was killed in a Central Otago helicopter crash has been remembered by his family as a "hero" who had an "infectious smile".

The family of a 52-year-old man injured in a fatal helicopter crash yesterday say he is "pretty knocked around" but improving.

An Otago father spent an hour in the sea preventing a jet ski, with two distraught children on board, from smashing into rocks after its battery went flat.

New Zealand has been named as a popular fishing destination for millionaires.