The Southland Times

Tuatapere sizzles as residents bitten by snarler bug

There was a serious sausage party held at the Tuatapere Domain on Thursday. Tuatapere residents and neighbours from nearby towns took part in the New World Top Sausage competition that was being held in the sausage capital of New Zealand. It saw the...

Injuries put brothers on track to tackle first-ever triathlon

Having both recovered from serious injuries last year, two Gore brothers are taking an uncomplicated approach to the Weetbix Kids TRYathlon in Dunedin on Sunday. Ciaran Mowat, 9, and Fintan Mowat, 6, have one goal, and that is to cross the finish...

Tuatapere snags nationwide final

A small Western Southland town known for producing the best sausages in New Zealand seems like the perfect place to hold the finals of New World’s top sausage quest. Few foods are as woven into Kiwi life as much as the humble snag, from backyard...

Guilty plea over fatal crash COURT

Aaron Templeton, 20, was determined to drive after drinking at the Tokanui Tavern and neither an offer of a lift from his mum, an approach from bar staff, nor the presence of a police officer at the pub was going to stop him. Templeton pleaded guilty...

Cancer diagnosis delayed

Administration errors and “unacceptable” wait times led to delays in a southern man’s cancer diagnosis, the Health and Disability Commissioner has found. In a report released yesterday, Commissioner Morag McDowell found Health New Zealand Southern...

The Riff strikes a new chord on Preston St

After more than 40 years as The Southland Musicians Club, the Preston St venue is getting its own name and identity. The Riff Live Entertainment Venue will be officially launched next month as a standalone entity with its own website and social media...

Pick of the bunch

Iplanted a small row of thornless blackberries about 10 years ago and they continue to be one of the stars of the summer fruit. Heavy with berries for two to three weeks, they ask very little in return – just an easy prune once a year to remove the...

Mayors tackle park funding ‘lead balloon’

While Invercargill warns that losing Rugby Park would be a blow to regional pride, neighbouring mayors in Gore and Southland districts are signalling a tough “no” on funding for upgrades to the stadium. The future of the park, which is home to the...

Sports day still going strong after 127 years BROWNS

Browns Sports Day is turning 127 and showing no signs of slowing down. With the cancellation of the Tuatapere Sports Day after more than 100 years on January 1, Browns Sports could have been next, but that’s definitely not the case. With 2025 having...

Teen shooter to face world’s best in Chch

Marnie Clark knows it will be tough going at the clay shooting world championships next month but she wouldn’t have it any other way. The Northern Southland College year 13 student has been selected for the New Zealand team competing at the...

New home sought for magnificent model

A large and meticulously fashioned model of the clipper Invercargill, which was long a talking point in the city’s HMS Kings Restaurant, is now on TradeMe. The restaurant’s former owner Bruce Maher isn’t fussed about the price. “I’d just like it to...

Record summer for Piopiotahi Milford Sound

After record visitor numbers in December and January, Piopiotahi Milford Sound is expected to see another surge in visitors over the Chinese New Year. Great South’s market intelligence suggests the Chinese market, which has been slower to rebound from...

Crowds and MPs converge

Southland welcomed a parade of MPs at Southern Field Days at Waimumu this week. There was a rousing response when Prime Minister Chris Luxon visited yesterday. He stopped at several stalls and chatted to people, with many in the crowd approaching him...

Southern Field Days Moo-ment

Whether it’s watching the tractor pull, checking out the latest in farming innovation or just browsing the sales, there’s been heaps on offer at this year’s Southern Field Days at Waimumu. Organisers are expecting tens of thousands of people from all...

Southland trio part of wood chopping first

Southland wood choppers Karen Corbin and Natalie and Emily Paterson are part of New Zealand’s first South Island women’s team. A 14-strong squad has been selected to head to the Royal Canberra Show, where they will compete against New South Wales and...

Joe Bennett Another week of people, and ducks, behaving badly

What a week it’s been for news. First came the naughty Olympic ski-jumpers. It seems that some of them have been injecting themselves with hyaluronic acid with a view to enlarging the penis. My first thought was that the greater penis might serve as...

Stringent security

The terrorist convicted of killing 51 worshippers in the March 15 Christchurch mosque massacres has claimed in court that prison conditions meant he was thinking irrationally when he pleaded guilty. At a five-day Court of Appeal hearing in Wellington,...

School crossing ‘like Russian roulette’

Hundreds of people crossing Queens Drive to and from the James Hargest Junior Campus each day are facing dangers akin to Russian roulette, the school has told the Invercargill City Council. At peak arrival and departure times, the crossing is...

High-octane action out at Oreti Beach

Held annually as part of the Burt Munro Challenge, this year’s racing featured household names such as defending champion Jonny Racz and Burt Munro Challenge great Kevin Ryan, who competes in every event. Rider numbers were up on previous years with...

READ MORE INSIDE:

■ Display of unity, NATIONAL ■ Waitangi, cohesion and the challenge to our major parties, IN DEPTH ■ Overcoming our Treaty fear, IN DEPTH

Maize paddock becomes fundraising fun

An a-maize-ing fundraising idea is bearing fruit – or rather corn – with a maize paddock near Riversdale transformed into a maze. Set on a working farm, the maize maze invites visitors to step into the paddock and navigate winding pathways through...

Sights on Munro Rally

Fresh off becoming New Zealand under 21 solo motorcycle speedway champion, Southland’s Hayden Brookland is set to show off his skills at the Burt Munro Rally, which runs from tomorrow until Sunday. And Brookland hopes to see plenty of fans at the...

Local company involved in Nasa moon mission

Self-confessed space geek Robin McNeill was a kid in 1969 when he watched grainy film footage of Neil Armstrong achieving the milestone of being the first man to walk on the moon. Now he’s the chief executive of an Invercargill company that will be...

Tractor beams

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Police Ten 7 fan turns Rakiura cop

Watching Police Ten 7 inspired a South African to join the Kiwi cops. Now he’s taking on community policing on Rakiura. Constable Justin Schwarz is replacing Stewart Island’s long-time solo cop Senior Constable Stuart Newton, who’s heading back to the...

Crank Up Day celebrates two household names

The 38th annual Edendale Crank Up Day this weekend is all about Ferguson and Toyota. It has been 80 years of the Ferguson tractor and 60 years since the first Toyota car arrived in New Zealand. Each year the Edendale Vintage Machinery Club, who run...

No-one left homeless

No-one will be left homeless when the Gore Motor Camp closes for the last time on Saturday. The Gore District Council will terminate the lease held by 4 Trade Direct Ltd, a company owned by Nick Irons, at the end of February, but permanent residents...

Murderer apologises to teen victim’s family

Convicted killer Christopher Brown has apologised to the family of his Invercargill victim, Jack McAllister, during a parole board hearing on Monday. “I am sorry, I am sorry for the pain I have caused you. I am sorry for being that angry kid, angry...

Highway reopens as rivers begin to recede

A weekend of persistent rain has caused rivers to burst their banks and closed a state highway near Gore, but river levels are now beginning to fall. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi advised State Highway 90 had reopened yesterday morning between...

Burnett wins his third title

Josh Burnett has become just the sixth rider to win three or more SBS Bank Tour of Southland titles after surviving a frenetic final day on Saturday. Burnett (PowerNet) started the day with a 19sec lead over Cambridge’s Matthew Wilson (Advanced...

Fish for compliments

If it’s hot outside, the family is often dispersed until early evening, and meals that can come together quickly are a must. Luckily, fresh produce is abundant in the garden and stores at this time of year, so it’s easy to put together a simple salad,...

Aust coach Whitfort joins Southern Steel

Highly rated Australian netball coach Jess Whitfort will bring plenty of experience to the Southern Steel this season. Whitfort, from Queensland, arrived in Invercargill on Wednesday to link up with head coach Wendy Frew, creating a formidable pairing...

Fox moving to Dunedin for more opportunities

Te Anau’s Libby Fox would love to one day play for the White Ferns, like her favourite cricketer Amelia Kerr. To progress towards the realisation of that dream, she has opted to move from Fiordland College to St Hilda’s College in Dunedin. It’s a...

Yelling ‘Bella’ a recipe for wagging chaos

Calling out the name Bella in a southern dog park is likely to get more than a couple of labrador tails wagging. That’s because Bella is the most popular dog name in both Invercargill and the Southland District Council areas. And the most popular...

LISA CARRINGTON

Rodeo has real family feel for the Perkins

The Perkins family love attending a rodeo together, so much so it’s been part of their family for at least four generations. Johnny Perkins, a life member of the Mataura Rodeo Club, competed for nearly 40 years, his son Anthony competes and his two...

Young William can’t wait for A&P show

William Malcolm is a 7-year-old embodiment of A&P show zeal. The Heddon Bush youngster spent the weekend bottling like a good’un to ready his jams, relishes and preserves for the home industry section of Saturday’s show at Winton. But that’s not the...

Skin cancer is a ‘huge issue’, doctor says

A skin cancer clinic opens in Invercargill this week, for a community its founder says has a “huge issue’’ with the disease. Dr Sophie Sharpe, a GP with a significant surgical background, will be providing skin cancer checks and minor surgical...

Thank you, Sir Tim

Invercargill has lost a legend. The city’s longest-serving mayor, Sir Tim Shadbolt, died on Thursday at the age of 78. Kiwis from all walks of life have recalled their fondest memories of the charismatic leader who will be remembered for his...

Retail crime partnership paying off

A partnership between police and retailers in Invercargill is being linked to a significant drop in retail crime statistics for Southland. Inspector Mike Bowman, the Southland area commander, said police in the district have been running Operation...

Pipers look forward to ‘bucket list’ tattoo

Members of the Invercargill Pipe Band are set to add a taste of Southland to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Eden Park in February. ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band bagpiper Ali MacKenzie said it was special to be performing at the...

The stickability of comedian Paul Ego ENTERTAINMENT

A comedian like the esteemed Paul Ego might have cause to pause before taking the microphone in Invercargill, as he will next month on his summer Stick tour. It’s the first time in his 30-year career that he’s bestirred himself to show up solo, rather...

World Cup a surreal experience

It’s been a whirlwind year for Gore’s Dan Nelson. The 17-year-old was part of the New Zealand team that competed at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Qatar in November. Nelson, who attended St Patrick’s College Silverstream in Wellington and was part of...

Suspicious fire sparks evacuation of home

Police are investigating a fire in Invercargill that started in a hedge and spread to the roof of a nearby house, forcing the family to evacuate. The family affected by the damage said it was the third time a fire had started in the hedge behind their...

Leader ‘supported, guided and challenged’ by others

Gail Thompson reads the list of achievements attributed to her and sees “the result of countless hands, voices and hearts working together’’. The Bluff-based leader, advocate and mentor for Ngāi Tahu whānui has been made a Member of the New Zealand...

Designer reviving discarded clothes

A love of op shopping, a little bit of boredom and a desire to help save the planet have led a young Southlander to create her own business. Ella Gallaher, 21, breathes new life into clothes otherwise destined for the landfill. She said she started...

Half a century and still going strong with meat processing company

Terry O’Connell began his working life at Alliance on the slaughterboard floor and 50 years later, he’s involved in planning the meat company’s market direction. O’Connell, Alliance’s ovine director, marked his 50-year anniversary with the company...

Poop found in bushes HEALTH

Human excrement adjacent to an area used by freedom campers in the Southland district has prompted a call for a public toilet to be installed or campers to be excluded. The area’s Ardlussa Community Board chairperson Richard Clarkson said he had been...

Let the church bells ring this Christmas

Matai Kerr, 14, and his sister Mia, 11, light prayer candles for Christmas at Invercargill’s First Presbyterian Church. Matai says he is looking forward to being around his family and friends for Christmas. Churches throughout Southland will hold a...

Elves to the rescue for Riverton parade

This year’s big Southland storm almost blew away Riverton’s Christmas spirit, but some special elves who believe in magic have made sure an 80-year-old tradition stays put. When strong winds ripped through the region in October, toppling power lines...

Pulitzer Prize-winning Arnett dies

Peter Arnett, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who spent decades dodging bullets and bombs to bring the world eyewitness accounts of war from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq, has died. He was 91. Arnett, who won the 1966 Pulitzer...

Esadication to Le paused

Large-scale pest eradication work will pause on Rakiura Stewart Island throughout 2026, says the organisation charged with killing every last pest on the island. The $90m Predator Free Rakiura project aims to completely remove three rat species,...

Two-year wait for museum COUNCIL

The public must wait until late 2027 before getting a new museum in Invercargill. The Invercargill City Council has decided to open the Te Unua Museum of Southland once it is fully completed in late 2027, rather than open parts of it ahead of time at...

Bondi terror attack

Two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi beach, killing 16 people, including a child, officials said yesterday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the...

Museum dilemma for council

Te Unua Museum of Southland won’t open by December 2026, but could be partially opened if councillors are prepared to throw between $1 million and $2 million at the project. While the building was on track to be completed by September 2026, the...

Sharing's caring

Whether it’s a festive celebration or a relaxed barbecue, the main event – such as a ham or baked salmon – is often planned well in advance (sometimes months ahead if you’re my aunty). To round out the table, I love having a few special yet...

Gore college intervention costs $254k

The Ministry of Education’s statutory intervention at the troubled St Peter’s College in Gore came at a cost of $254,000. Of that total, the school’s board of trustees paid nearly $200,000 for the work done by limited statutory manager Nicola Hornsey,...

Private chemo treatments now on offer

Chemotherapy treatments have begun in Invercargill under a collaborative approach that may prove a model for the rest of the country. Dunedin-based private provider Mercy Cancer Care NZ is now using facilities at the new Te Hau o Te Ora primary care...

The Pantry community cafe closing down

Citing the “tremendously challenging” time for hospitality in the past few years, community cafe The Pantry is set to close. A statement released by South Alive said “after careful consideration of our financial situation, the ongoing cost of living...

Christmas cheer, ‘the best gift you can give’

Lynette Du Plessis of Invercargill hates seeing people struggle and wanted a way to give back to those in need – so she decided to hold a free event on Christmas Day. With costs ever increasing, it can be challenging for families at this time of year,...

Invercargill teen wins scholarship

Invercargill teenager Liam Templeton has won a nationwide scholarship for male dancers who show outstanding promise in classical ballet. Liam, 14, has been named the 2026 New Zealand School of Dance/Royal Academy of Dance Project B scholarship...

Baby in car police spiked

Police have confirmed that a baby was inside a vehicle they spiked before it crashed in Southland on Tuesday night. However, Southland area commander Mike Bowman said police were not aware that the baby was inside the vehicle before the decision was...

Huge trees in for the chop

Stands of giant trees bordering some of Invercargill’s busiest streets are set be taken down, after being assessed as being a potentially “catastrophic” risk to life. City councillors on Tuesday rejected what they were advised was a low-probability...

War vets’ plaques stolen

The theft of several plaques for returned military personnel at St Johns Cemetery in Invercargill has been labelled “totally disrespectful”. Acting area prevention manager inspector Mel Robertson said Invercargill police were investigating a series of...

Appeal to restore boggy trail launched

One of the wettest and wildest parts of New Zealand’s epic Te Araroa walking trail, in Southland’s Longwoods, will go from bog to boardwalk with public help. Te Araroa Trust has launched a campaign to raise $30,000 from the public to support the first...

Boss unhappy with decision COURT

A woman who stole cash from the till of her Southland employer on multiple occasions has been granted a discharge without conviction and given permanent name suppression. Aged in her mid-20s and employed by a Southland organisation at the time of the...

Simpler local govt raising complex issues for mayors

Southland’s three mayors line up to agree with the Government’s intention to simplify local government structures but still zoom in different directions on where that should logically end up. The divergence may prove an issue given that, as an interim...

Mental health staff strike starts today

A group of health improvement practitioners (HIPs) employed by WellSouth in Southland and Otago will embark on a seven-day strike from today. The 17 HIPs are APEX union members and have been in negotiations with the primary health organisation for...

Grace Street Project seeking funds

The Grace Street Project is calling on Southlanders to leave their mark on its new community hub with a new fundraising campaign. Under the Southland 1000 banner, a thousand individuals or groups are being sought to each donate $1000 towards the...

National honour for southern courts boss

Robert Loo gets job satisfaction from helping people. The justice services manager in Southland and Central Otago – who is in charge of the four courts in the area – has been recognised for his work both locally and nationally. Loo, from...

‘Kick in teeth’ for workers EMPLOYMENT

Seafood company Sanford proposes to make 11 workers redundant at its Bluff processing factory, a union boss says. “It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth to lose your job just before Christmas,” E tū union director Georgie Dansey said. The proposal comes...

Meet New Zealand’s soon-to-be newest dame

Southland and New Zealand are to have a new dame. Pauline Buchanan of Gore is to be honoured as a Dame of St John. King Charles is the sovereign head of St John worldwide and the award, which has been gazetted in London, is the equivalent of a King’s...

Widespread vulnerability after outages

Last month’s storm knocked out power to nearly 140 cellphone towers across Southland and Clutha, showing that during emergencies people need to be prepared not just for power outages, but also communication outages, an industry expert says. New...

MIKE PURU

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