Otago Daily Times, 13 February 2026 If you are seeking spectacular vistas, a walk up the Omeo Gully Track to Prophets Rock is both rewarding and can bring some understanding to some of Central Otago’s rich past. The rock is a very prominent schist [...]
Otago Daily Times, 19 January 2026 While most people were dressed to the nines, celebrating the local architecture and ye olde activities at the St Bathans Village Fete, Keith Hinds was busy getting his hands dirty. The 74-year-old put on a display on Saturday, [...]
Our summer newsletter is out. Read about fossils in the Maniototo, the fascinating story behind a Roxburgh nurse who never returned from the Great War, a sneak peek into the progress at Earnscleugh Castle, plus more. Click here to read the newsletter. [...]
The Central App, 21 October 2025 The next chapter in Ophir’s postal history has begun, with Harriet Cameron stepping into the role of postmistress. The Galloway resident becomes the latest in a line of postal workers to serve at the town’s post office - New [...]
The Central App, 29 September 2025 After months of careful planning and construction, the next stage of Alexandra’s Kāmoanahaehae Riverside Park is now complete, offering the community an upgraded space to gather, connect and enjoy the riverside. The stage of the project centred on the [...]
Our spring newsletter is out. Read about the history of ice skating on the Lower Manorburn Dam, an old pair of ice skates, and a set of gold scales which were used in Alexandra in the 1800s, plus more. Click here to read the [...]
The Central App, 12 August 2025 A cemetery plan for future burials in Naseby had to be amended after an archaeologist report found pre-1900 features within the existing site that needed protection. A report to the Maniototo Community Board last week from Central Otago [...]
Otago Daily News, 5 Aug 2025 After more than two decades of handwritten letters, local gossip and cheerful hellos across the counter, Val Butcher is stepping down from her post. The much-loved postmistress of the Ophir Post Office has called time on her 26-year [...]
Stuff - 3 July 2025 One of the country’s most photographed pubs - and a fixture of the Central Otago landscape - is going on the market. Expressions of interest open on Friday for the 162-year-old, heritage-listed Cardrona Hotel. Cade Thornton, who has owned [...]
Central App, 27 February 2025 Two fluke finds, a newspaper in the old homestead walls and a buried wine cellar, led a local couple to find out the history of Como Villa Estate - and publish a book. Pam and Johnny Chapman, who bought [...]