Central Otago District, Alexandra

Have you got your tickets yet?

Have you got your tickets yet?

For just $15, you could win a fully furnished home in Clarks Beach, Auckland worth over $1 million. Buy your tickets today!

840 days ago

Beef, ordered from here

McDonald's

For delicious grass-raised beef New Zealand is the perfect combo.

An ideal climate, lush pastures and innovative farming produces enough beef for Macca’s in New Zealand and around the world. Our patties are 100% quality beef, and all that’s added is a dash of salt and pepper when cooked.
View more
For delicious grass-raised beef New Zealand is the perfect combo.

An ideal climate, lush pastures and innovative farming produces enough beef for Macca’s in New Zealand and around the world. Our patties are 100% quality beef, and all that’s added is a dash of salt and pepper when cooked.

We partner with many Kiwi farmers who produce our beef, including those at the world-class Whangara Farms.
Find out more

Image
844 days ago

Get super-duper fuel savings with Kora.

Kora

Kora saves the day with 13c off a litre!

In a world of rising fuel prices, a hero has come to save every day! Join Kora and save a super 13 cents a litre on every fill at Waitomo until 30th November.

Kora is the Kiwi fuel payment card that saves you 10c a litre every day at Mobil and Waitomo.… View more
Kora saves the day with 13c off a litre!

In a world of rising fuel prices, a hero has come to save every day! Join Kora and save a super 13 cents a litre on every fill at Waitomo until 30th November.

Kora is the Kiwi fuel payment card that saves you 10c a litre every day at Mobil and Waitomo. Fill up when you want and pay later with weekly, fortnightly or monthly billing.

With prices flying high, now’s the time to save more with 13 cents off every litre at Waitomo until 30th November. Apply today!
Find out more

Image
844 days ago

Paint a kid's balance bike

The Team from Resene ColorShop Dunedin

Update a balance bike with a colourful new look with Resene paints so that it can continue to be enjoyed for years to come!

Find out how to create your own.

Image
846 days ago

Arrowtown builders turn shed into award-winning gin distillery

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

Looking down from the top of Queenstown’s Cecil Peak, drinking gin infused with thyme plucked from bushes in Arrowtown, Stu Clark admits to feeling proud of his award-winning drink.

Clark and his mate Hamish Bourke were working as builders in Arrowtown when they one day got “yarning” about… View more
Looking down from the top of Queenstown’s Cecil Peak, drinking gin infused with thyme plucked from bushes in Arrowtown, Stu Clark admits to feeling proud of his award-winning drink.

Clark and his mate Hamish Bourke were working as builders in Arrowtown when they one day got “yarning” about how good it’d be to own their own gin distillery, a dream not uncommon for the Kiwi bloke.

In 2018, the mates had been doing some building work on Clark’s shed, which wasinitially intended to be a workshop, but became a distillery where the friends now make their Rifters Gin.

By 2020, the pair had bagged a gold medal at the San Fran Spirit Awards, followed by a silver the year after.

They have also won medals at the London and New Zealand Spirits competitions.

“We just got on really well and both love gin and wanted to try this thing. We haven’t balanced [the books] out yet, but it is about going for it. We are proud of what we’ve done so far,” Clark says.

Rifters are makers of small-batch premium gin, which uses botanicals and local herbs like thyme, mānuka honey, coriander and mint.

They started trialling recipes for their mates and after loads of good feedback, Clark says they “gave it a crack”.

The men are passionate about bringing people back to their region after a tough couple of years for hospitality during the pandemic.

Clark says lockdowns and low visitor numbers to the region affected sales, but numbers are on the way back up with the help of local tourism.

On Saturday, the company took two competition winners from Mt Maunganui up to Cecil Peak in a helicopter to taste their gin at height.

They wanted to showcase the area that initially inspired them to make gin.

Clark says the dream is to one day open up a public distillery allowing people to visit and have a taste of what their region has to offer, and perhaps link up more with tourism operators like they did over the weekend.

The inspiration behind the name “Rifters” and their bottles, comes from Arrowtown’s gold mining history, he says.

A visit to the local museum showed a connection between Arrowtown's gold mining history and gin, a drop the foragers made for themselves while panning for gold 150 years ago.

“Our bottle is a representation of this Arrowtown history and the land that surrounds us, coloured to match the lakes and rivers that flow through Central Otago,” Clark says.

"The mountains, lakes and rivers that surround us have captured our imagination for years. They provide the purest ingredients used to make our gin.”

Image
847 days ago

Luxury Cruising Virtual Information Sessions

The Luxury Cruising Co.

Join Pat from the Luxury Cruising Co this September to discover a unique collection of destinations and packages!

Sessions

Europe Session Tuesday 6th September 11am River Cruising
Land Journeys, Rail Journeys, Private Jet Tours, Small Ship Cruising, Luxury Yacht Cruising.

Canada/Alaska … View more
Join Pat from the Luxury Cruising Co this September to discover a unique collection of destinations and packages!

Sessions

Europe Session Tuesday 6th September 11am River Cruising
Land Journeys, Rail Journeys, Private Jet Tours, Small Ship Cruising, Luxury Yacht Cruising.

Canada/Alaska Session on Thursday 8th September 11am
Canadian Rockies with Alaska Cruise, Eastern Canada with New England Cruise, Rockies with Rail, Rockies with Calgary Stampede

Australia on Tuesday 13th September 11am
Kimberly Small Ship Cruising, 4WD Touring, Tasmania, Luxury Wilderness Camps, Discover a wide range of options available.

Asia Session on Thursday 15th September 11am
Discover Touring and River Cruises available in Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan and South Korea

Luxury Cruising on Tuesday 20 September at 11am
An overview of Luxury Cruising Worldwide and expedition cruising in Antarctica and the Arctic

Click here to register your interest or contact 0800 214 9925
Visit https://luxurycruising.co.nz/
Register Now

Image
850 days ago

Expect the unexpected

Stuff

Generally Famous is Stuff's new podcast in which Simon Bridges finds out what makes his generally famous - but always interesting - guests tick.

So far, Simon's had Olympian Eric Murray and digital entrepreneur Lucy Blakiston in the hot seat. And there's … View more
Generally Famous is Stuff's new podcast in which Simon Bridges finds out what makes his generally famous - but always interesting - guests tick.

So far, Simon's had Olympian Eric Murray and digital entrepreneur Lucy Blakiston in the hot seat. And there's more exciting guests to come each Wednesday.
Listen now

Image
850 days ago

Good as gold!

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

These folks are 'salt of the earth' and deserve a gold medal for the joy they bring to their neighbourhoods.

Their neighbours have nominated them as Nice Neighbours recently, winning them a small prize and some recognition in the local papers.

If you are lucky enough to have a … View more
These folks are 'salt of the earth' and deserve a gold medal for the joy they bring to their neighbourhoods.

Their neighbours have nominated them as Nice Neighbours recently, winning them a small prize and some recognition in the local papers.

If you are lucky enough to have a Nice Neighbour, you can nominate them on our Nice Neighbour page. We can't wait to hear all about them!

Image
851 days ago

Don't forget Dad! Just one week to go Neigbours

The Team from NZ Compare

Whether he's a new dad, a super special father figure or a many times grandad, find the perfect present to spoil him with PriceMe.

Read our handy gift guide to get those last minute Father's Day shopping ideas, while PriceMe's easy to use cost comparison website will save you the … View more
Whether he's a new dad, a super special father figure or a many times grandad, find the perfect present to spoil him with PriceMe.

Read our handy gift guide to get those last minute Father's Day shopping ideas, while PriceMe's easy to use cost comparison website will save you the $$$!!

Image
851 days ago

Residents fed up over Queenstown buses that either run late or don't come at all

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

From reporter Debbie Jamieson:

June Baptista has spent three years singing the praises of Queenstown’s bus services. Six weeks ago that stopped.

The retired teacher doesn’t have a car so relies on buses to get to appointments and to the local high school to do relief teaching. But … View more
From reporter Debbie Jamieson:

June Baptista has spent three years singing the praises of Queenstown’s bus services. Six weeks ago that stopped.

The retired teacher doesn’t have a car so relies on buses to get to appointments and to the local high school to do relief teaching. But suddenly the buses stopped turning up.

“One evening I waited for more than an hour at the bus stop.

“Later I was told there was a reduced timetable, so I looked at the new timetable when I had to get a booster shot in town. It still didn’t come for an hour and I missed the appointment.”

Baptista is among the many bus users complaining about changes that have led to less frequent services, irregular arrivals and sometimes no buses not turning up at all.

Those affected include school children, workers, tourists and Otago regional councillor Alexa Forbes.

The regional council is responsible for providing bus services and Forbes, who lives in Queenstown and is a regular bus user, is chairperson of the Otago regional transport committee.

She said she was “nice and early” to catch a bus to an event in Arrowtown from the Frankton bus hub, but it never arrived.

“Despite the website saying it was 10 minutes away, nothing happened.”

The next bus was running 40 minutes late because of congestion from skiers coming down from Coronet Peak, and she ended up getting a ride with a friend.

Bus driver shortages are being felt across the country. In mid-July, the Otago Regional Council introduced a temporarily reduced timetable for Queenstown and Dunedin services.

This week, it said it was short 39 public transport bus drivers.

A full timetable would not be reinstated “in the short term”, transport manager Doug Rodgers said.

Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult put the problem down to wages, which were about $23 an hour.

“A cleaner around here can get $27 to $28 an hour these days – no wonder they are having trouble getting drivers.”

In Auckland, bus drivers’ pay was bumped up in July to an average of about $25.62 an hour. In Wellington in December, the rate went up to $27 an hour.

The regional council and Waka Kotahi provide the bulk of bus driver wages, but bus contractor Ritchies sets the pay rate in Queenstown.

The company manager could not be reached for comment.

On Wednesday, the regional council agreed on an unbudgeted increase to ensure all drivers are paid at least the living wage as of September 1 – $23.65.

It was an increase of 90 cents, according to Rodgers, and would cost the council almost $500,000 a year.

Rodgers said the driver shortage was the sole reason for the reduced timetable, but Boult and Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins saw wider problems and wanted their councils to have more control of local bus services.

Control of bus services currently sits with regional councils.

Last week, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced a new “sustainable public transport framework” would replace that model, opening the door for more involvement from district and city councils.

This was welcomed by Boult, who provided much of the momentum behind the new, cheaper and more frequent Queenstown $2 bus service, which started in 2017.

“I’d have to say that I’m disappointed, particularly post-Covid ... that the ball has been dropped and we’re seeing services curtailed and I’m getting complaints.

“When the $2 bus was introduced we probably had a public transport system that was envied by every council. That has been eroded.”

After months of waiting, the mayors have secured an informal meeting with Otago Regional Council officials later this week.

However, Forbes warned that there would not be a quick fix.

A new governance structure would be needed, then funding would have to be considered.

“There won’t be more money in the public pot. Somehow or other the councils involved are going to figure out how this will be funded,” she said.

In Wellington and Auckland, driver pay rises were achieved by increasing rates.

Baptista hoped changes would be made soon, so she would no longer have to wait an hour for a bus that may never come.

“Can you imagine wasting all that energy and time waiting when you could have done something more productive?”

Image
852 days ago

A free tassel throw worth $69.00, how good does that sound?

NZ House and Garden

Add a touch of luxury to your home with NZ House & Garden, Aotearoa’s favourite home and lifestyle magazine. NZ House & Garden celebrates the homes, lifestyles and creativity of New Zealanders. Subscribe before 19 September and you’ll receive a free French Country Collections tassel … View moreAdd a touch of luxury to your home with NZ House & Garden, Aotearoa’s favourite home and lifestyle magazine. NZ House & Garden celebrates the homes, lifestyles and creativity of New Zealanders. Subscribe before 19 September and you’ll receive a free French Country Collections tassel throw worth $69.00

Just visit Mags4Gifts to purchase your subscription, or if you’d rather talk to one of our friendly staff members, call 0800 624 744. Offer valid for 1 and 2 year subscriptions only at the new-subscriber rate. Standard T&Cs apply.

The team at NZ House & Garden
Find out more

Image
853 days ago

Support Daffodil Day this August

Cancer Society

Daffodil Day is the Cancer Society’s largest fundraising and awareness campaign, and it’s crucial to allow us to support those impacted by cancer. We offer everything from a helpline and counselling support through to transport and accommodation during treatment.

Cancer doesn’t stop, and … View more
Daffodil Day is the Cancer Society’s largest fundraising and awareness campaign, and it’s crucial to allow us to support those impacted by cancer. We offer everything from a helpline and counselling support through to transport and accommodation during treatment.

Cancer doesn’t stop, and with your help, we won’t either. More New Zealanders will get cancer this year than ever before and no one should face cancer alone. Just $24 helps get someone to treatment. Please give generously this Daffodil Day so we can continue to be a lifeline for people with cancer and their whānau.

To donate today, visit daffodilday.org.nz.
Know more

Image
855 days ago

The NZ Compare Awards are back for 2022 - Who are the best broadband, power and mobile companies?

NZ Compare

The NZ Compare Awards are back... and we have introduced MOBILE Awards for the first time returning as an in-person celebration with a Gala Awards night hosted by Mike McRoberts in Auckland on December 1st 2022.

Recognising excellence, leadership and innovation in the New Zealand utility … View more
The NZ Compare Awards are back... and we have introduced MOBILE Awards for the first time returning as an in-person celebration with a Gala Awards night hosted by Mike McRoberts in Auckland on December 1st 2022.

Recognising excellence, leadership and innovation in the New Zealand utility sectors, the NZ Compare Awards are back for the 6th year and in response to consumer demand, we have introduced MOBILE Awards for the first time.

As the boundaries between the utility industries continue to blur the organisers have responded to growing demand to increase the categories and industries celebrated by the NZ Compare Awards and will now recognise excellence and achievement within New Zealand’s BROADBAND, ENERGY and MOBILE sectors for the first time.

Award categories are consumer driven and informed by the 300,000 Kiwis who use NZ Compare websites each month. Winning carries real gravitas with the Kiwi consumer and the awards represent an opportunity to be confident in the talent and vision your company has worked so hard towards. This significant event will recognise the companies that provide New Zealanders with the very best products and services across these essential industries.

The NZ Compare Awards are supported by a wide range of companies including Movinghub, Vector Metering, Chorus, realestate.co.nz and Neighbourly. The prestigious awards will recognise the companies that provide New Zealanders with the very best products and services in their industries. With a range of different categories including best home and mobile provider, best customer support, fastest service, best rural provider and best broadband innovation.

Winning an NZ Compare Award depends on a combination of criteria. These include consumer surveys and reviews on the NZ Compare websites and decisions from our expert judging panel.

"Judged by an independent panel of New Zealand experts and presented at our gala awards event, the NZ Compare Awards provide a unique stage on which we recognize and reward the achievements of the New Zealand utility sectors." said Gavin Male, CEO of NZ Compare.

So what do you think? Give a shout out to your favourite utility provider here - not just for doing their job... we want to hear about those that go above and beyond! Who should be a winner?

Image
854 days ago

Are you happy in your region?

NowNext

What are the biggest issues your region is facing? Take part in the NowNext Local survey and you could win a one of twenty $100 Prezzy Card for your opinion.

Whether it’s how happy you are or if you plan on staying long term, the NowNext Local survey is getting a snapshot of how kiwis are … View more
What are the biggest issues your region is facing? Take part in the NowNext Local survey and you could win a one of twenty $100 Prezzy Card for your opinion.

Whether it’s how happy you are or if you plan on staying long term, the NowNext Local survey is getting a snapshot of how kiwis are feeling.
Take the survey

Image
855 days ago

Have you got a greener 'shed' than our Houseplant Hero winner?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Dear neighbours,

Meet our Houseplant Hero competition winner Alan Mckenzie! If all sheds came like that, we want one too. Congratulations to Alan and his many many houseplants.

Image
857 days ago

Celebrate a lifetime of mahi

Our passions and mahi play a large part in our legacy. When we channel that mahi into championing causes and giving back, that legacy is carried as inspiration for generations to come.

The rymanhealthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau celebrates Kiwis aged 70 and over… View more
Our passions and mahi play a large part in our legacy. When we channel that mahi into championing causes and giving back, that legacy is carried as inspiration for generations to come.

The rymanhealthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau celebrates Kiwis aged 70 and over who continue to inspire, champion causes, and give back, building lasting legacies that make us all proud to call New Zealand home.
Find out more

Image
Top