Marjorie Cook

Four Wanaka people and a dog were lucky to escape a house blaze early yesterday morning with their lives, Invercargill-based fire risk management officer Michael Cahill says.

Tiring Wanaka Chief Fire Officer Steve Trevathan (51) is off on his "oldies OE" to Australia, where he will seek work in the mining industry - and hopes to play golf.

The economic downturn has forced Lake Hawea stalwart Trevor Hewson to seek mining work in Australia.

A McNeill Drilling rig began working above the Clutha River near the Luggate Red Bridge yesterday

The Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust is in good heart as it works towards its goal of raising about $2 million to buy the Snow Farm from the Lee family by September.

A $50,000 water feature for Lakeside Rd should be completed by the end of June, two trusts associated with the development announced this week.

Two Transport Accident Investigation Commission inspectors have visited the site of Wednesday's fatal helicopter crash but it could be a year before their final report can be delivered to the families of the two pilots who died, Graham Stott (31), of Wanaka, and Marcus Hoogvliet (21), of Queenstown.

Wellington artist Rose Petterson's Cathedra Domine won the people's choice award, with 369 votes, at the Sculpture in Central Otago trail at Rippon Vineyard this week.

Tributes flowed yesterday for the two pilots who were killed when their helicopter crashed in the Mt Aspiring National Park while on a cross-country navigation training flight.

The sale at auction of a Wanaka house on Monday for $110,000 less than the price it fetched nearly eight years ago has not surprised real estate agents.

The Crown clawed back $550,000 from convicted Dunedin fraudster Michael Swann this week after the successful auction of his second Wanaka holiday home.

When asked if she wanted to spend three days this week biking, hiking, kayaking and abseiling with three complete strangers in China, Wanaka's Simone Maier did not need much convincing.

If an army marches on its stomach, then Wanaka caterers Crissy and Mark Langford know exactly how to support their troops.

Secret knitters have "bombed" Wanaka with yarn, keeping locals guessing as to who is behind the colourful prank.

John Darby and Murray Sheppard helped to hang the Wanaka Art Society exhibition yesterday. The artwork is Dancing with the Jars by Helen Luxton.

When Wanaka toddler Ciara Hovey (2) starts her next fight against a rare soft-tissue cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, in Christchurch today, her bald teachers at Oanaka Educare Centre will have every reason to be thinking about her.