Otago Daily Times News Feed

The George St improvements, including the new play equipment, are nearly completed. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON The Dunedin City Council is confident the new George St playground will be safe and robust enough to withstand anything — including inebriated students.

Dunedin volunteer Tracy MacAulay-Higgan holds up a rusted windscreen wiper found during the clean-up on Smaills Beach on Saturday. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Car doors, loads of bottles, used needles and other drug paraphernalia were among the loads of rubbish picked up by more than 150 volunteers at Dunedin’s Smaills Beach on Saturday.

A group of teenagers lost in the Southland bush were praised by police for making the right decision by notifying emergency services and staying put for help.

University of Otago student Rosie Auchinvole juggles her studies and travelling the country with the New Zealand Youth Choir. The choir gave a performance to a packed room in St Paul’s Cathedral in Dunedin yesterday. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Juggling university and travelling the country as part of the New Zealand Youth Choir is no easy feat for one Dunedin woman.

International studies student and executive member of the Otago Students’ Spearfishing and Hunting Club Jack Smith auctions off the last fish of the day. PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSON Students dived deep on Saturday, competing in a spearfishing showdown for charity.

Dunedin's amazing bus drivers were singled out for praise by some very happy passengers on the Viking Orion cruise ship. Photo: ODT files Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including amazing bus drivers, Luxon's path of destruction, the trouble with cats and dogs, and South Dunedin's future.

Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock. PHOTO: REUTERS Many in the investment community look out for Larry Fink’s annual chairman’s letter to investors. At 11,000-odd words it’s not a short read, but in my experience, it’s a thought-provoking one.

Peak Toolbelts owner Paddy Collings showcases a custom tool belt he was commissioned to manufacture. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH After years of searching for the perfect tool belt, a Dunedin contractor decided to design his own.

Winton race track. PHOTO: ODT FILES Invercargill breeder-owner Murray Little’s two starters, Captainshavtime and Wehavtime, led throughout and could not be caught when scoring in trainer Brett Gray’s colours at the Wairio Trotting Club’s meeting at Winton on Saturday.

The senior women’s race gets under way at the Lovelock Relays at the University Oval on Saturday. PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSON Lovelock and Loaded fired when they needed too.

Santana Minerals contractors drilling near the historic "Come in Time" battery site, about 2km from the ruins of the mining village Welshtown in the Bendigo area. PHOTO: SHANNON THOMSON Lobby group Sustainable Tarras is urging Santana Minerals to "do the right thing", reject the government’s proposed fast-track approval process for its $4.4 billion Bendigo-Ophir gold mine project and talk to Tarras residents about its plans.

The Riverton Rugby Club flag that was taken to World War 1 by its players. They used the bottom corner to clean rifles when they ran short of cloth. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The corner of the Riverton Rugby Club’s flag has been deliberately torn off — but the mutilated flag has only earned infinite respect and pride among members.

Members of the Dargaville Youth Charitable Trust gather at the base of Te Mānawanui for karakia after the formal dedication. PHOTOS: BRENDON MCMAHON The public can now view a massive rimu, at least 1000 years old, discovered almost by accident in South Westland.

Lily Sullivan. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED Several prominent New Zealand and Australian actors are starring in an apocalyptic, neo-Western action horror being shot in Queenstown and near Glenorchy.

REPORT & PHOTO: TRACEY ROXBURGH Peruvian Queenstowners (from left) Daniela Champa, Samantha Ashton, 9, and Melissa Cuadros strike a pose at Saturday’s second annual Latin Kiwi Integration Fest, held at the Queenstown Memorial Centre.

By all accounts, it was one for the record books.

The Otago B52s announced themselves as a serious contender after inflicting defeat on the previously unbeaten St Clair Saints at St Clair on Saturday.

Last year Maheno won two games all season.

An oddity of the Central Otago premier club rugby competition is that four of the five leading try-scorers after five rounds of competition are props. Mostly seriously big props, and in Joji Ravula’s case, awesomely large, around the 130kg mark.

Woodlands provided the highlight in round five of the Southland premier grade club rugby competition on Saturday when they beat the Eastern Northern Barbarians 20-13 in Gore.