It's a quiet place to get away from it all - and packed with interest, says Elisabeth Easther.

Three lives have been claimed on the Riversdale-Waikaia Road in Southland late last night, according to police.

Pamela Wade meets a real brown kiwi and other wild species on an excursion to isolated Stewart Island.

A hunter who was shot dead by a member of another hunting party in Southland yesterday has been named as local dairy farmer Adam David Hill.

'There's quite a lot of devastation in there'. It took more than 90 firefighters to bring a massive blaze in Gore under control at a commercial building.

Invercargill police used illegal and unjustified excessive force by letting a police dog bite and drag a suspected burglar for almost a minute, an IPCA probe found.

A flock of 500 sheep has been found smothered to death in a narrow gully on a Southland farm.

A diversion to look at the scenery turned tragic for a minivan load of tourists in Southland yesterday afternoon.

One person has been killed and several others hurt after a van carrying Chinese tourists crashed in Southland this afternoon.

A shallow earthquake jolted Southland residents from sleep today.

The gas bottle explosion that rocked central Invercargill yesterday, seriously injuring the man transporting it in his ute, is extremely rare and will take some investigating to find out why it blew up, fire experts say.

Investigators are picking through shards of glass and twisted metal to work out why a gas bottle exploded in Invercargill today, injuring two people

The fishing is as good as its gets, Estelle Sarney finds as she reels in the cod on a trip to Stewart Island.

Police have named the 3-month-old boy who died after suffering serious injuries at a Southland address on Monday. He was Honour Shamrock

A toddler who died after falling in a duck pond on a Southland farm has today been named by police.

A 2-year-old girl has drowned in a duck pond on a Southland farm. Police and volunteer firefighters attempted CPR but the child was unresponsive.

South Island photographer, Nicole Gourley was waiting for a friend to be baby ready so should could bring her time lapse vision in to fruition.

A large magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Southland in the early hours of this morning.

Canterbury's unique geological setting has led scientists to believe the earthquake sequence it has experienced could likely not happen anywhere else in the world.

For 125 years the Milford Track has been one of our toughest walks. Venetia Sherson finds it's even tougher for the blind.

A 31-year-old man accused of stealing a car with a baby in the back and later pulling over and leaving the child on the side of the road has been remanded in custody on six charges.

A hitch-hiker who allegedly stole a car before he noticed a baby sleeping in the back seat then decided to abandon it on the side of the road, police say.

A moderately strong earthquake rattled Southland residents early today.

Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bill English is to give up his Clutha-Southland seat at the next election and stand as a list candidate.

Elisabeth Easther explores why the 'Pearl of the South' deserves its name.