Rhys Chamberlain

One  excited royal follower managed to get up close and personal with the Prince of Wales in Dunedin yesterday, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Otago is heading for a scorching summer as El Nino tightens its grip on the country.

Two Dunedin school pupils have been selected for a ''once-in-a-lifetime'' trip to the subantarctic Auckland Islands through the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

For Waitati woman Valerie Fay, volunteering with plants and animals is a passion. She ''just can't help ''.

About 100 Otago Department of Conservation staff and 1500 throughout the country will take industrial action from tomorrow over pay.

Punters celebrating Melbourne Cup day around Otago, including at Wingatui today, may need to rethink their attire as snow, severe gales and heavy rain are expected.

Ghouls and goblins, mummies and vampires celebrated Halloween safely thanks to the Dunedin Gasworks Museum.

A possum-free Otago Peninsula by 2018 is the goal and with 2300 of the pests culled this year and an extra $111,000 of funding, it seems the unwelcome Australian intruder's end is nigh.

A group of former teachers, who all trained at Dunedin Teachers College, has been reunited after 60 years.

Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae spoke to about 100 business people at a lunch at Forsyth Barr Stadium yesterday.

A central Dunedin building evacuated yesterday because of fears its facade might collapse on to the footpath below, was earthquake-strengthened two years ago, the Dunedin City Council says.

Aoraki Polytechnic's Dunedin students will complete courses under the Otago Polytechnic banner from next year.

An ambitious $30million endowment fund for conservation projects has been launched to try to save some of New Zealand's most endangered species.

Calling all vocalists ... Christmas is coming and that means caroling.

Teens with a hankering for sandwiches and chocolate were apprehended by police ''munching'' on food stolen when they allegedly broke into a South Dunedin cafe early yesterday.

A Mosgiel family could be about $20,000 out of pocket after a 20ft shipping container with all their possessions was left stranded at Lyttelton Port.

Dunedin educator and performer Tahu Mackenzie is devastated after several of her flamboyant performance outfits were stolen from the boot of her unlocked car.

Three vehicles were entered unlawfully in Dunedin over the past two days.