Latest from Otago

'End of an era' as tavern destroyed
A fire which gutted the historic Aparima Tavern at Riverton yesterday spread "unbelievably quickly", a customer says.

Queenstown: More, please...
Catherine Smith enjoys the high life with great views at Matakauri Lodge.

Kiwi faces Australian Kronic charges
An Auckland man has appeared in court in Brisbane today charged with trafficking synthetic cannabis into Australia.

Excessively smoking chimneys to be targeted
Homes with excessively smoking chimneys in Otago's high air pollution towns will be targeted in coming months and residents given a deadline to "clear the air" as the battle to improve air quality intensifies.

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

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

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

Fatal head-on crash kills woman
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.

'You don't know whether to cry or laugh'
There was just one word to describe 82-year-old Central Otago farmer Rex George after the big snow: "buggered".

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

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

Family lounge or drive-thru?
Five members of a Lake Hawea family were considered lucky to be alive last night after a runaway people mover crashed into their lounge.

North Otago dairy worker rescued from floodwaters
A North Otago dairy worker had to be rescued from his motorbike in chest-deep floodwaters in Kakanui Valley yesterday.

University of Otago international student numbers in decline
The University of Otago needs to target international students more "aggressively" after having the largest decline in international numbers of any New Zealand university this year, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says.

Pedalling new territory
Hayden Donnell hops on a bicycle to explore the newest trails around Queenstown.

Two face charges over rabbit infestation
What are believed to be the first prosecutions over Central Otago's rabbit problem are set to go to court next week.

Rabbits reaching 'plague proportions'
Tallies from the annual Great Easter Bunny Hunt in Central Otago must have embarrassed the Otago Regional Council, as they revealed the ineffectiveness of its pest management, submitters said this week.

Police investigating suspected poacher in Matakanui
A Matakanui farmer hunting on his property at dusk lined up a shot, was alarmed by hearing two gun shots nearby then spotted a suspected poacher through his sights when a man ran across his potential field of fire in what police are calling a "near-miss".

Parole review leaves family 'gutted'
An Otago woman and her family are "gutted" the killer of her teenage daughter will appear before the New Zealand Parole Board again next year, despite being denied parole earlier this week.

Driver jailed over fatal crash
A driver in a crash that killed a young Otago man has been sentenced to two years and eight months in jail and disqualified from driving for four years.