Latest fromOtago

Ski touring the South Island
Fergus Blakiston embarks on a 10-day odyssey of the South's skiing high points.

'Please hand yourself in'
The mother of escaped prisoner Stephen Maddren has made an emotional plea for her son to give himself up.

Do-or-die effort saves woman and cat
After her car hit black ice, plunging down a bank and sank into a pond, Helen Kay grabbed her cat and 'kicked the hell out of a window' to escape.

Fears for safety of escaped prisoner
Police have fears for escaped prisoner who fled an Otago Corrections Facility wearing only trackpants and a top as 'hypothermic conditions' set in.

Unlicensed teen driver hurt in pursuit
An unlicenced 16-year-old Dunedin youth is in hospital with a serious head injury after fleeing police in a high-speed pursuit.

Farmer was 'seconds from death'
Five seconds are all that stood between David Greer and death, as the farmer struggled for air while trapped underwater in his truck in the Kyeburn River.

Cabbie accused of false assault claim
A former taxi driver has been charged with theft and making a false statement to police after claiming he was attacked and robbed of $700.

Ice havoc: 4WD, tanker, shuttle in crash
There are delays for motorists on Dunedin's Northern Motorway after a multi-vehicle crash resulting from frosty conditions this morning.

Cop denies offensive language charge
A Queenstown police constable has pleaded not guilty to an offensive language charge relating to an alleged incident involving a taxi driver.

Calls for more support for start-ups
A South Dunedin man is calling for more support for people trying to start their own businesses.

Lightning razes historic homestead
A lightning strike caused a large fire which razed an historic homestead to the ground near Glenorchy this morning.

Four icy adventures
Sometimes there's nothing like a chilly holiday to leave you feeling invigorated.

Wintry weekend, especially in south
Severe rain and wind warnings and a drop in temperatures have been issued for parts of the South Island and lower North Island this weekend.

Bar/fly: Dunedin
Nothing re-awakens the Scot inside you like the aroma of a smoky whisky, finds Peter Feeney.

Partner's grief: 'I lost a part of me'
The partner of a tramper who died after being swept into a river in Fiordland expressed his grief yesterday at losing a loved one.

Body of 22-year-old tramper found
The body of a 22-year-old tramper who was swept away on the Milford Track has been found.

Grave fears for swept away tramper
"My teeth were broken, blood came out of my mouth and Jessica was gone." A backpacker has described being unable to save a woman swept away on Milford Track.

No police coercion on confession: IPCA
Police did not coerce Joyce Conwell to confess to the shotgun murder of Alec Rodgers in Christchurch in 1999, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has ruled.

NZ airport one of world's 'most scenic'
Aviation website privatefly.com has named its top 10 scenic airports at which to land. Our very own winter wonderland Queenstown gets a mention.

Cat bags big drug haul
Police had to be called after an Ashmore presented its owner with a 5g bag of cannabis.

'Feral' scarfie party shut down
A ''feral'' student party in Stafford St in Dunedin yesterday was shut down by police, amid concerns for the safety of intoxicated people climbing on the outside of a three-storey flat.

Otago: Southern seasons
No matter what the weather's doing, Pamela Wade finds entertainment in Southland and Central Otago.

Parents' final goodbye to daughters
The parents of the German teenagers presumed drowned in Foveaux Strait are returning home and say they know they are leaving their daughters behind.