Vicious brawl, violent attacks, gang member visits: Life on notorious Dunedin student street

Outside her Hyde St flat, "The F Shack'', in Dunedin yesterday is Tamara Tawhai, 20, who has described several violent attacks and gang members visiting the property.

A woman living in a notorious party street in Dunedin's student quarter has described violent attacks and gang members visiting her flat.

Her comments come as detectives launch an investigation after three people received moderate injuries during a brawl in Hyde St about 11pm on Saturday.

One of the victims received a puncture wound but it remains unclear whether he was stabbed or fell on broken glass.

Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, said the "mass brawl'' erupted during a party and the criminal investigation branch was working on the case.

The assailants remained at large yesterday as police searched through rubbish on the street.

Tamara Tawhai, who lives in the Hyde St flat named "The F Shack'', was in no doubt what started the fight.

"It was over a girl.''

The 20-year-old tourism graduate has lived in the street for two years and said while it was worse last year, it had continued to be the source of trouble.

"There's a lot of things that go on at this flat.

"Gang members have come here before looking for one of my flatmates. I ended up kicking him out because of it.

"I'm always the one going over saying 'I'm so sorry about last night'.''

There had been several other assaults in and around the flat in her time there, including a wine glass thrown into the face of a woman, two stabbings and an incident where a man broke in and hit several female residents, she said.

"If you go and ask any of the neighbours 'what do you think of F Shack?', they'll say 'they're always starting trouble'.''

Another resident, Jennifer Gordon, 20, said: "I can tell you now that most of the people on the street [on Saturday night] weren't Hyde [St] residents.''