David Bruce

How Cape Wanbrow - one of the most prominent landscapes in Oamaru - will look in the future after logging of its pine plantation is finished should be known by next month.

Any excuse for a party, they say - and St Luke's Church is taking it by reviving a fun Christian celebration.

A phone call from China wanting a taxi and two inquiries from men wanting to know how to bake a cake are among some of the more unusual requests in almost 80,000 calls to North Otago Citizens Advice over the past 25 years.

Five Taiwanese tourists and their New Zealand driver were injured when their rental van rolled on the Hakataramea-Waimate highway yesterday afternoon, prompting a major callout of emergency services.

Craig Jenner (left) plays a hose from a fishing boat on to part of Holmes Wharf which caught fire at Oamaru Harbour yesterday.

An Oamaru antiques store owner says he chased a woman shoplifter on foot along a highway, then narrowly dodged a punch by her tattooed accomplice.

Madisyn Rawson and Molly Loe would rather be out with cows or sheep than doing what many of their age do - sitting inside playing on a computer or watching television.

Tyler Barlow (3), from Auckland, is dwarfed by this John Deere 6105M tractor he tried out at one of the trade displays at the North Otago A&P Show yesterday.

A group of 17 people, who had relocated to North Otago from Christchurch because of the earthquakes, gathered at the Coast Cafe at Kakanui yesterday for a meal cooked by the cafe owners Richard and Mandy Collins, who themselves left the city for the same reason.

Despite saying he had been threatened, abused and had property damaged, an Otekaieke man still intends to dredge gold from the Maerewhenua River after yesterdaygetting the go-ahead from Environment Canterbury.

A 10M fishing boat will be relaunched at Friendly Bay on Saturday as a place where adventurous children can play.