Ōtira and Springfield celebrate 100 years since tunnel opening
Ōtira was a bustling town with about 650 people when the Ōtira Tunnel first linked the West Coast to the rest of the South Island 100 years ago.
Communities at both ends of the tunnel are celebrating its centenary on Friday.
The rail tunnel travels 8.5km through the Southern Alps and was once the seventh longest tunnel in the world, and the longest in the British Empire.
Although the rail tunnel is now only the third longest in the country, it remains an engineering marvel.
During its construction, tunnellers contended with harsh conditions, using basic tools to drive through wet shale and rock, and with the steep track required from Ōtira to Arthur’s Pass.
A committee of Ōtira residents was set up two years ago to organise a celebration to commemorate 100 years since the tunnel opened on August 4, 1923.
Read reporter Joanne Naish's full story here (subscription required).
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Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
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Have you seen Rowena?
Police are urgently appealing for sightings of Rowena, 39, reported missing from Christchurch.
She was reported missing to Police on 22 October 2025, and was last seen on 14 August 2025. Rowena hasn’t been in contact with her children and her family are worried for her safety.
Police investigating her disappearance have identified her as being in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch in the recent months prior to her missing person report being made.
If you have seen Rowena, or have any information regarding her whereabouts, please contact us immediately.
You can contact us via 105 either over the phone or online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” and referencing file number 251022/9026.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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