A former Central Otago goldmine worker has admitted stealing gold-bearing sand, which police later found in a plastic lunchbox at his home.

A Cromwell man who groped two women at the Gibbston Valley Summer Winery Concert says he can't remember the incident and is "totally at a loss" to explain his actions.

Elisabeth Easther gets a taste of the 'Fruit Bowl of the South'.

Two male German tourists working in New Zealand were critically hurt in a crash in the Cromwell Gorge last night.

The South Island town of Cromwell has been hit by an apparent twister this afternoon, with houses losing roofs and a large tree uprooted.

A father facing charges over the death of his three-year-old son told last night of his heartbreak.

Take me to the river.

A Cromwell builder's five years on the job helped when it came time to tackle his own home.