The father of the 22-year-old Queenstown man at the centre of an alleged kidnapping has asked for privacy to allow his son to recover from the ordeal.

A 69-year-old Wanaka woman died yesterday after slipping and falling about 40m from a Department of Conservation walking track near Glendhu Bay, Wanaka.

Danielle Wright and family share the water with albatrosses, bottlenose dolphins and sea lions on a wilderness cruise through Doubtful Sound.

In the splendid town of Middlemarch, Peter Feeney and his family stay on a sheep station and enjoy Southern hospitality that comes complete with locally brewed beer.

A motorist caught driving at 177 km/h in Otago was one of more than 200 infringements police issued over a four-day blitz in the lead-up to Christmas.

Dunedin Botanic Garden staff are on high alert following a break-in by someone they believe was looking for hallucinogenic drug-producing cacti.

A fish tank at cash-strapped Dunedin Hospital cost $73,000 to install and more than $1000 a week to run in its first year.

Otago's gateway is a hip town of vintage shops and nice beaches, says Elisabeth Easther.

Rob Ashton, soon to join Auckland's Carlton-Cornwall club after dominating Wellington bowls for years, moved to the brink of an unprecedented double at the New Zealand Open at Henderson yesterday.

The death of a 22-year-old student who fell from his skateboard and suffered a fatal head injury has been referred to the coroner.

Two whales, which lived more than 20 million years ago, have been identified by Otago University researchers.

A Chinese billionaire behind the controversial buy-up of the Crafar dairy farms and Lochinver Station says New Zealanders have nothing to fear from his investments in the country.

The identity of the new owner of Queenstown's Hilton hotel has been revealed - and it's the group behind the controversial Crafar farm and Lochinver Station purchase.

A Green Island man was left with burnt hands and a garden shed minus one wall after an explosion during a drug-making operation last month.

Eveline Harvey and her family check into a well-appointed apartment in Central Otago.

These beautifully-appointed apartments in a quiet street offer the perfect holiday accommodation option for families.

For further information see wla.co.nz.

Dunedin police have retrieved a man's body from Otago Harbour this morning, after it was discovered by a member of the public.

The three tourists from Hong Kong were killed when their rental van and a truck and trailer unit collided in Central Otago.

Three people killed in a horror smash in Central Otago this afternoon were all foreign nationals, police say.

Josie Dale contemplates the dark green silence of the Matukituki Valley.

A Maheno teenager is fighting for his life after being struck by a milk tanker near Maheno in Otago early yesterday.

The fire, along the ridge of the Maungatua Hill Range, forced the evacuation of a number of properties on nearby McKendry Rd this morning.

A male pedestrian was hit by a truck and seriously injured on State Highway 1 in Otago last night.

Shandelle Battersby enjoys a luxurious stay at the Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown.

This beautiful Otago property is the perfect place to relax and unwind or to enjoy a more adventurous holiday, taking in the on-site golf course and the surrounding area's many outdoor leisure options.

Further information see millbrook.co.nz.

A new incarnation of Shrek the Sheep goes on public display today. The male merino gained global fame after evading capture for six years and acquiring a phenomenal 27kg fleece.