Ellie Constantine

Embroidery inspired by a psycho killer and quilts covered in underwear - Jane McMillan's craft creations are definitely unique.

Mosgiel's climate and library are good, but its traffic and swimming pool are bad, residents say.

When Craig Palmer refers to his fiance when he is working, she simply becomes "the athlete".

Glenys Ker has seven qualifications to her name, a successful career in management and education, and her own business, oh, and she just happens to be married to Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker.

Making his own chutneys, jams, and pickle is not new to Rory Harding, who loves utilising his well-stocked vegetable patch.

There are days Roz McDonald's job seems to go to the dogs ... and emus, and livestock ...But she wouldn't have it any other way.

Having lived in Brockville all her life, Marie Laufiso would be hard to top as the person to lead change in the community.

Fast food wrappers, broken glass, discarded furniture. They are common sights in Dunedin, but the Dunedin City Council is taking a proactive stance and coming up with innovative ideas to tackle the rubbish problems.

Donna O'Leary has no fear her children will complain they have no record of growing up - she has documented every milestone of their lives in scrapbooks.

Not wanting to face long drives in hot cars with cramped family members, many people opt for a holiday closer to home. With its lush willows, enticing lake and plenty of services, Waihola could be a holidaymaker's dream. Ellie Constantine enjoyed a bit of lakeside sunshine close to home.

A woman of two worlds, Debbie Pettinger switches from heavy packs and muddy boots to bright fabrics and creative patterns with ease.

He makes a list, he checks it twice, and Otago children have tried very hard to make sure Santa puts them on the nice side of it this year.

They may take a week and some ingenuity to put up, but houses lit up like, well, Christmas trees at this time of year have some happy people inside. Ellie Constantine toured Dunedin streets to see houses all aglow.

They may have no idea what they will be eating on Christmas Day, but stall-holders at the South Dunedin Otago Farmers Market helped the public pick their fare yesterday.

They may be irresistibly adorable, but SPCA Otago wants to remind people that kittens are not just for Christmas.

Let's hope Santa's elves have upskilled this year.

After rousing Scottish spirits for decades, the anthem Scotland the Brave inspired Kaho Sakakura to delve into a foreign culture while living on foreign soil.

It may be a slow-moving, living fossil, but the peripatus worm species successfully evaded Dunedin Botanic Garden staff for many years until Harry Byrne picked up a log this week.

The Upper Taieri Wetland complex is nationally important and should receive greater protection, Department of Conservation technical support officer Murray Neilson told the Otago Regional Council yesterday.