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.

Leila George finds out what's new at Queenstown's skifields and down in town.

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.

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.

A Singapore man last month admitted charges of aggravated careless driving causing death and injury, after the death of a motorcyclist near Oamaru.

Police are investigating after a person woke to find a man in their Alexandra Heights Motel room early this morning.

Shandelle Battersby discovers a magic spot, just a few minutes out of Queenstown.

The concert where a balcony collapsed injuring 18 people should never have been held at student flats, Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull says.

The Queenstown home of missing pilot John Beckenridge has gone on the market.

It may have cost $500,000, but the recipient of a new leg believes the "complete life-changer" was money well spent.

The teen behind the wheel of a car which rammed a police car yesterday was allegedly in the car famously brought to a stop by a flock of sheep.

The Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow puts aviation on centre stage, and a long list of flying machines, old and new, took a turn in the spotlight.

University of Otago student asked: Can you do my assignment?

A 1400km car trip is a long haul by anyone's standards, let alone a 92-year-old, by himself, on a road trip around the country.

Easter might be about cute bunnies and chocolate eggs for most, but in one part of NZ wild rabbits are the target.

Police have named 62-year-old Kusum Rohit Kenia as the person who died in a Central Otago crash yesterday.

A hunter who called 111 after spotting a fire near his Waitaki Valley camp this summer was shocked to receive a $60,000 invoice from the Otago Rural Fire Authority.

Balconies at nine student apartments have been closed amid safety fears after an accident that injured 18 people in Dunedin.

Dunedin family furious police have not laid charges after they woke in the night to find a stranger standing in their bedroom doorway.

Police have found a firearm following the incident in Dunedin.