Friends helping an Alexandra teenager celebrate his 18th birthday took cover behind a wheelie bin when he became angry and kept reloading and firing his newly-bought airgun at them.

Otago Bowling Club members split more than $200,000 from the sale of grounds among themselves, instead of giving it to community interests.

Police are extremely concerned for the safety of an Oamaru man who was last seen late on Sunday night.

Sixty-four Dunedin manufacturing workers will have their working week reduced by a day, following KiwiRail's decision to award a manufacturing tender offshore.

Jude Nickolls was brought to tears again yesterday - this time by the kindness and generosity of strangers.

Josie Dale visits Macetown to recapture the atmosphere of the goldrush days.

One of Queenstown's top horsewomen was reduced to tears yesterday after discovering her two horses had their tail hair hacked off.

A drunk man is alleged to have mistakenly smashed his way into a Dunedin flat causing 'thousands' in damage and scaring the student residents.

A Clinton man whom a judge described as the "neighbour from hell" was lucky to avoid being held in contempt of court for his behaviour at a defended hearing.

The owner of a lamb which was bashed and killed on Saturday says he has been blown away by one Central Otago sheep farmer's kindness.

A beloved pet lamb was stolen and later dumped with a smashed head and set on fire outside its Dunedin home early yesterday, police say.

Danielle Wright experiences cross-country skiing at Wanaka.

A fire which gutted the historic Aparima Tavern at Riverton yesterday spread "unbelievably quickly", a customer says.

Catherine Smith enjoys the high life with great views at Matakauri Lodge.

An Auckland man has appeared in court in Brisbane today charged with trafficking synthetic cannabis into Australia.

Justine Tyerman goes for a hoon up the Dart River.

Many of the landmarks of the fabled Dunedin Sound of the 1980s can be visited on a relatively short and intriguing walk.

A holiday wildlife tour ended in hypothermia for four young women kayaking near Taiaroa Head, in Otago, yesterday.

A van ended up in Otago Harbour after going off Portobello Rd at Edwards Bay yesterday.

An elderly woman's death in the Clutha River last year was due to ill-health and her being intoxicated, a coroner has ruled.

The main highway north of Balclutha remains closed this morning after a head-on crash in which a woman was killed and another seriously injured.

There was just one word to describe 82-year-old Central Otago farmer Rex George after the big snow: "buggered".

Following more than a week of heavy rain, floods and snow, Otago residents are being told to expect a slow return to normality.

Volunteers are urgently needed to help farmers access and feed stock on about 40 stations above 500m throughout Otago.