Latest fromSouth America

Cocaine accused's low-rent city shelter
The Hotel Caoca is an unlikely hangout for an accused drug smuggler. But this is where Sharon Armstrong spent much of her seven days in Buenos Aires...

New details on how NZ cocaine accused was tricked
An Argentinian paper has revealed fresh details of how a NZ woman was tricked into smuggling cocaine out of the country...

Family: NZer cocaine accused was duped
Sharon Armstrong, former Maori Language Commission deputy chief executive, has been detained in Buenos Aires.

Want to eat at one of the world's best restaurants? You'll be lucky
A place on the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants has become one of the most sought-after honours for restaurateurs.

Patagonia: Excrement-flinging birds and other wildlife
Jill Worrall finds some 19th century parallels with New Zealand history in South America's deep south.

Patagonia: Glacial beauty
This isolated area of South America is home to majestic glaciers, Magellanic penguins, elephant seals and cormorant... as well as some 50,000 beavers, a handful of which were introduced in the 19th century.

Brazil: Discovering the contrasts of Rio
The jewels in Brazil's crown range from opulent beaches to colourful slums, writes Geoff Cumming.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro balances the dreamy opulence of sunny beaches with the reality of life in the favelas.

Gardening: Fabulous feijoas
Justin Newcombe pays tribute to an icon of the New Zealand garden, one that is just coming into season.

Punta Arenas: Magellan's legacy endures at world's end
Jill Worrall embarks on a cruise through Patagonia from Chile's southernmost city.

Bolivia: Holiday thrills on highway to hell
Bolivia's infamous Death Road is an unlikely must-do for bike-riding gringos, writes Grant Dyson.

Chilean miners considered suicide, cannibalism
The 33 miners rescued from inside a Chilean mine last year had considered suicide and cannibalism, it has emerged.

Buenos Aires: Let's get ready to tango
With just 48 hours to spend in Argentina's capital city, Geoff Cumming goes in search of some live Latin beats.

Ecuador: Sticking with a stitch in time
The Andes' artisans call on skills thousands of years in the making, writes Jim Eagles.

Wine: Review your wine spend
Tasting wine that you can't afford is one of the pleasures of the job. It doesn't happen often but it's usually a joyous and memorable occasion when it does.