| Otago Daily Times Online News

Town hall packed for Christmas dinner

Dunedin's Town Hall was packed to the rafters with merry-makers from all over the city for a special Christmas meal today.
'This kind of generosity makes Christmas'

Oamaru police have paid tribute to a Waitaki family who have made the Christmas season a little bit better for another local family.
PM Luxon shares Christmas message

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has shared a Christmas message to New Zealand.

Still in motel nearly three months after floods

Man with disability still in motel nearly three months after floods

A Dunedin man is spending Christmas Day cooped up inside a motel, as the date to move back into his flood-damaged house keeps being pushed back.
Four injured in Balclutha crash

Four injured in Balclutha crash

Updated 7.20 pm

Four people have been injured, one seriously, in a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 near Balclutha.
Hundreds of items confiscated in Dunedin courts

Hundreds of banned items confiscated in Dunedin courts

Knives, tasers, screwdrivers, knitting needles, knuckledusters, fireworks and even an axe were among the banned items people have tried to take into courts across NZ recently.

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Slide on your aviators for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Aspiring Helicopters

It’s hard to beat a birds-eye view wherever you fly and our Southern Alps are no exception – in fact they’re right up there with awe-inspiring beauty.

dunedin

A couple climbed a fence which was blocking the path to Tunnel Beach after significant rain...

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People urged not to access closed track

Visitors who blatantly ignore closed signs at Dunedin’s Tunnel Beach are only putting themselves at risk, the Department of Conservation warns.

A full moon for Christmas

A full moon for Christmas

Central Dunedin residents enjoying their Christmas Eve morning got an up-close and personal view of a full moon after a man, allegedly high on drugs, strolled through the city centre starkers.
Minister says more support needed for smaller rest-homes

Minister says more support needed for smaller rest-homes

Smaller, community-based rest-homes need greater support from the government funding model, the Minister for Senior Citizens Casey Costello says.
Enjoying sunflowers an unexpected boost

Enjoying sunflowers an unexpected boost

A terminal cancer patient who was told she had three weeks to live in October has defied all odds and will live to celebrate another Christmas with her family.

regions

One hurt in highway crash at Hampden

One person was injured in a crash on State Highway 1 at Hampden this morning.

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Councillor quits, reason disputed

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Councillor quits, reason disputed

A southern mayor says he respects a councillor’s decision to quit with 10 months left of his term, but rejected his reasons for doing so.
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Cherry growers keeping sharp eye on rain

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Cherry growers keeping sharp eye on rain

So far the cherry season in Central Otago has been dry, but orchardists are worried this week will bring forecast cherry-damaging rain.
More police allocated

More police allocated

Holiday-makers can expect to see a police presence in the Waitaki Valley lakes area over the next few days.

National

Child hit by car in Masterton driveway dies

A child has died after being struck by a vehicle in a driveway in Masterton this afternoon.

Restaurant puts on free Xmas meal for 100

Restaurant puts on free Xmas meal for 100

A family-owned restaurant in the Far North is making sure people who could have gone hungry today will instead go home full of good food and Christmas spirit.
Juicy Fest cancels New Zealand tour dates

Juicy Fest cancels New Zealand tour dates

The Juicy Fest RnB music festival has canned its New Zealand tour dates, including the Christchurch leg which was due to take place early next month.
Woman drowns at Northland beach

Woman drowns at Northland beach

A woman has drowned after she got into trouble in the water at Waimamaku Beach in Northland, police say.

sport

Volts batter Dean Foxcroft blasts through the offside against the Stags in their Super Smash game...

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Sparks shape as strong contenders

Crash, bash and Super Smash. The domestic T20 competitions get under way on Boxing Day when Northern Districts host Auckland in back-to-back men’s and women’s games at Seddon Park....

Duffy joins Phillips in Black Caps ODI, T20 squads

Duffy joins Phillips in Black Caps ODI, T20 squads

Otago seamer Jacob Duffy has been named in the Black Caps to face Sri Lanka.
Meeke to return to rally ‘heaven’

Meeke to return to rally ‘heaven’

Northern Irishman Kris Meeke is seeking more success on the Otago roads next year.
Dunedin to host first round of new series

Dunedin to host first round of new series

Signal Hill will be the backdrop for the opening round of a new international continental mountainbiking series early next year.

Xmas on the farm with Nadia Lim
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Dad duped into thinking chicken
A tasty Christmas menu
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The bits on the side

Business

Christmas Eve the busiest shopping day of the year

Christmas Eve was the busiest shopping day of the year with 10,408 sales a minute at its peak.

ANZ online banking down for thousands

ANZ online banking down for thousands

Some banking customers have been affected by an outage to online banking services, a day out from Christmas Day.
'I feel so stupid': Woman loses $80K in investment scam

'I feel so stupid': Woman loses $80K in investment scam

For Anne, the psychological blow of having been caught up in an investment scam is proving harder to deal with than the at least-$80,000 she has lost.
Naylor Love entities liquidated in ‘routine tidy-up’

Naylor Love entities liquidated in ‘routine tidy-up’

Naylor Love has appointed liquidators for three companies as part of a routine cleanup — including a more than a century-old former main entity.

Rural Life

Chickens at Hillgrove Egg Farm near Moeraki. File photo: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

No bird flu detected after thousands more tested

The Ministry for Primary Industries is confident the bird flu outbreak detected at an Otago poultry farm has been stamped out after no more cases of virus were were found.

Plea made to keep co-op wholly farmer-owned

Plea made to keep co-op wholly farmer-owned

Two Southland farmers have issued a ‘‘call to arms’’ imploring Alliance Group shareholders to supply their livestock to the co-operative to keep it wholly farmer-owned.
'Emotional time' as Timaru meat works closes its doors

'Emotional time' as Timaru meat works closes its doors

Alliance says it will be an "emotional time" for the 55 remaining meat workers at its Smithfield plant in Timaru today, as it prepares to shut its doors after 138 years.
Avian influenza tests continue

'No signs' of avian influenza outside of Otago farm, tests continue - MPI

Further tests are being carried out this week to confirm if highly pathogenic avian influenza has been contained to one Otago egg farm.

Life & style

Road victim Andrew Milne

With the holiday road toll season upon us, ODT editorial artist Austin Milne recounts how his father was killed by a drunk driver whose sentence of judicial monitoring ended this month.

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Kicking up a fuss over dance craze

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Kicking up a fuss over dance craze

In a six-part series Mike Houlahan looks back at how the Otago Daily Times covered burning issues of yesteryear. We begin by considering the moral panic which ensued in some quarters when the Charleston hit the South.
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From military tool to the masses

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From military tool to the masses

With the new century entering its 25th year, Summer Times looks back at some of the events of 2000 and sees how we've fared since. Hamish MacLean looks at the GPS revolution.
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Childhood revisited

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Childhood revisited

Fox's Alexandra Motor Camp, Summer 1952.

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

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Chapter and verse
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Putting the pieces together

World

Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Photo: Reuters ...

Pope's Christmas message of hope

Pope Francis has celebrated Christmas Eve Mass with thousands of people inside St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

Cadbury loses its Royal endorsement

Cadbury loses Royal endorsement for first time in 170 years

Chocolate maker Cadbury no longer has Royal approval after it was stripped from King Charles' endorsement list.
Evacuations, panic as Victoria bushfire rages

Evacuations, panic as Victoria bushfire rages

A wave of cancellations is hitting hospitality businesses at great distances from the epicentre of an out-of-control Victoria bushfire as owners call for calm.
A matter of centimetres: a Vanuatu quake survivor's story

A matter of centimetres: a Vanuatu quake survivor's story

Vanuatu earthquake survivor Lester Lowane says he was centimetres from being crushed in last week's 7.3 magnitude shake.

Opinion

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Undoing what has been done

As Christmas loomed last year, leaders and staff at Te Pūkenga faced an uncertain future, knowing that the newly-elected government planned to disestablish the mega merged polytechnic.

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Cartoonist’s view — Yeo

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Cartoonist’s view — Yeo

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.
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The Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain’s heresy that there is no Santa

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The Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain’s heresy that there is no Santa

Last week, while conducting a religious education class for 10-year-olds at a primary school in Lee-on-Solent in Hampshire, England, the Rev Dr Paul Chamberlain told the children there was no...
Lessons from Canadian cousins

Lessons from Canadian cousins

Canada can offer lessons on sustaining journalism here, Paul Deegan writes.

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Updated 7.20 pm

Updated 7.20 pm

Updated 7.20 pm