Vaughan Elder

A Dunedin amateur photographer who has travelled to far-flung corners of the globe to take pictures has won a national award for a shot of a colourful crab taken on the Galapagos Islands.

The refurbishment of the more than century-old University of Otago staff club building has exceeded budget by about $150,000 and the final bill for the work is expected to reach more than $750,000.

A woman campaigning against a proposal to fell a pine plantation next to Waikouaiti's beach says the town's residents are still concerned about the plan despite Dunedin City Council's efforts to involve them in the process.

The University of Otago has rejected the idea of putting a cycle lane through the campus as a way of getting cyclists off Dunedin's one-way system, saying such a move would be unsafe for pedestrians.

The Southern District Health Board yesterday announced the resignation of one of its key executives.

Dunedin man Carlos Biggemann was ''speechless'' when his father told him he had won a New Zealand Down Syndrome Association national achievement award for his accomplishments in swimming and photography.

A teenager who is fundraising for the Cancer Society by cycling the length of the country says grinding her way up the Kilmog on her way in to Dunedin yesterday was among the toughest moments of her trip so far.

People around Dunedin took the opportunity to get to know their neighbours a little better over the weekend in a range of events held as part of Neighbours Day Aotearoa.

Opoho School in Dunedin fittingly marked 75 years to the day since it was formed by having two of its oldest first-day pupils cut a cake with the newest member of the school.

A meeting held in Waitati on Saturday to discuss a shake-up of school bus services north of Dunedin became heated at times, as parents and principals expressed frustration with the Ministry of Education officials who attended.

A University of Otago researcher hopes a map pinpointing the location of every accident involving a car door being opened on a cyclist will encourage authorities to act faster on road safety.

Dunedin's guest nights fell by almost 10% last year, bucking a regional trend in which demand increased in most parts of Otago.

An incident in which two students fell off the roof of the same flat within minutes of each other on Monday night should serve as a reminder for students to think before they act during O-Week.

Students are moving into Knox and Salmond colleges this weekend, only a few days after the completion of a $12.1 million earthquake-strengthening and extension project.

Police and the University of Otago are warning students not to ''overdo it'' this O-Week, with those who misbehave risking serious consequences - including exclusion from the university.