A chef in a South Island tourist hot spot worked for around 60 hours per week and received about $1800 per month, some $660 less than he should have.

The winter storm that brought snow and heavy rain to many parts of the South is moving north, but many roads in the region remain affected in its wake this morning.

The South Island resort town of Wanaka has been rocked by a magnitude 4.1 earthquake tonight.

Danielle Wright snowshoes cross-country in Wanaka.

Two men arrested following a serious assault in Wanaka have had charges against them upgraded to attempted murder.

Two men face a charge of attempted murder following the serious assault of a man in Wanaka earlier this month.

Four new snow groomers worth $2 million are busy at Cardrona Alpine Resort preparing the field for an earlier than usual June 13 opening.

Two men charged with seriously assaulting Wanaka man Kahu Vincent on May 9 have continued name suppression at least for now.

Emergency crews trying to extract a man trapped inside his overturned four-wheel-drive looked up for a second and then got on with the job.

Following 10 days of unsettled weather in the wake of Cyclone Pam, Nasa will make its second attempt to launch its heavy-lift super pressure balloon.

All systems are go for the launch from Wanaka Airport this morning of Nasa's heavy-lift super pressure balloon.

There will be no prosecution over a burn-off at Wanaka last October, despite many official complaints about smoke from the fire blanketing the town.

It has been a "bad and very sad year already" for aviation in the south, the Civil Aviation Authority says.

Tributes are flowing in today for two of New Zealand's most experienced Cessna pilots who died in a horror crash that also claimed the lives of their two children.

Four bodies - believed to be from the same family - were last night recovered from the wreckage of a light aircraft near Wanaka.

Police have recovered four bodies from a light plane that crashed near Wanaka.

Aballoon the size of Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium is scheduled to lift off above the scenic Central Otago town of Wanaka on Tueday and float 34km into space.

Police have found a sleeping bag and other items believed to belong to missing climber Simon Bell.

As search efforts continue, police are piecing together the last known whereabouts of missing climber Simon Bell.

A mountaineer aiming to conquer a record 100 NZ peaks - and who once saved a companion's life in a daring rescue - is missing in Mt Aspiring National Park.

The body of a well-regarded music journalist who went missing while tramping in Mount Aspiring National Park has been found.

The object that flew through a windscreen, killing a young driver, has never been found - and now a coroner has said, it's unlikely that it ever will be.

A base jumper has completed what is believed to be New Zealand's biggest base jump, with a vertical drop of almost 2km.

Friends of Scott "Brock" Oliver are coming to terms with news the lively DJ and journalist is presumed drowned after going missing in high country.

A "one-off" drug deal at a Wanaka preschool has resulted in two teachers having their registrations torn up.

Volunteering circles in Wanaka have been left devastated by the death of Maureen "Mo" Schofield, who slipped and fell 40m while walking the Fern Burn Track on Monday.