Otago Daily Times News Feed

Retired Gore farmer Alistair Rutherford competes in the Upper Clutha ploughing competitions at Hawea Flat on Saturday.PHOTOS: KERRIE WATERWORTH The key to winning a ploughing a competition was ploughing even, straight and uniform furrows.

The Christchurch team from 2/4 RNZIR NZ Army Reserve Force carries its casualties away from a contact site during the medical testing phase of their unit's annual skill at arms competition in Invercargill over the weekend. PHOTOS: JOHN COSGROVE Time, energy and pride were on the line as 50 NZ Army Reserve Force soldiers from around the South Island tested their mental and physical skills near Invercargill on Saturday.

PHOTO: LAURA SMITH Sparkly swimsuits and choreographed routines entertained an audience of family and friends at the South Island Artistic Swimming Championships, held on Saturday in Invercargill.

Silver Fern Farms Co-operative chairman Richard Young holds Silver Fern Farms branded lamb hot pot rolls at an Ole supermarket in Jinan, southern China. Photos: Supplied For Silver Fern Farms Co-operative's new chairman Richard Young, getting out on his West Otago farm is "like a release".

St Kevin's College has climbed out of the bottom four of the Otago premier school tournament.

Tim Horner Caversham and Roslyn Wakari were the winners of the Chatham Cup ties on Saturday.

Dani Gray College A came out on top in a defensively dominant performance over Physed C, 63-30 in the premier club competition at the Edgar Centre on Saturday.

University centre Matt Faddes celebrates scoring a try with team-mates Patrick Atkinson (left) and Graham Urquhart during a premier game against Harbour at the University of Otago Oval on Saturday. PHOTO PETER MCINTOSH University pumped Harbour 53-0 in an impressive display.

Land given to returned soldiers as part of the Benmore Settlement in the Waitaki proved too difficult for many. Dunedin’s soldiers faced many difficulties returning to civilian life following World War 1; difficulties often explained by poor management on the part of the very authorities working to assist them, Clare Sullivan writes. 

Harraways visiting Prof Rickey Yada says plant-based foods are making great strides but there's still work to do ensure they don;t come up short in the nutrition stakes. Photo: Gregor Richardson The world of food production is changing, moving from the paddock to the lab and other newly engineered environments. It’s something we might need to get used to, visiting food scientist Prof Rickey Yada tells Tom McKinlay.

Theatre artist Alice Canton has captured conversations at locations around the city with members of the Chinese community. Photo: Christine O'Connor With strong political and social threads, theatre-artist Alice canton uses storytelling to create spaces for multiple voices to be heard, she tells Rebecca Fox. 

The bull banksia by the Oxford St car park entrance of Hope and Sons opposite KFC. I hope it's allowed to grow to its full potential at this open site. Photo: Gregor Richardson Anyone who wants to make a movie about an alien planet doesn't have to design their own weird and wonderful plants - there are plenty of bizarre-looking plants right here on Earth, writes Mark Clark.

The popularity of Fortnite has even spawned dance moves. Photo: Getty Images Americans mightn't understand the word "fortnight", but they do understand Fortnite. I've discovered my grandchildren understand both, writes parenting columnist Ian Munro.

Photo: Getty Images The Japanese have known for years that spending mindful time in the woods is beneficial for body and soul, writes Harriet Sherwood. Now Western doctors, and the Royals too, agree. 

Dunedin's Soaked Oats are back on tour this month having just released a new EP. Photo: Jacob Turnbull After taking their infectious brand of jangle pop technicolour around the world, Dunedin's Soaked Oats are back home with a new EP and record deal in tow. Adam Burns spoke to frontman Oscar Mein about building confidence on the road and why it is time to more on from the Dunedin Sound. 

Photo: Getty Images Liz Breslin pays tribute to Sports Parents that she's seen and been.

An electric tram glides through central Edinburgh. Photo: Getty Images The familiar names of the electric tram route through Edinburgh seems to promise something similar here, writes Bill Campbell. 

Frances Hodgkins. Photo: supplied Two new books on the life of Frances Hodgkins beautifully celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Dunedin artist's birth.

Images: supplied RAGE 2For: PS4, Xbox One, PCFrom: Bethesda/Avalanche StudiosRating: (R16) ★★★ This is a game that my teenage self would love, writes Gieson Cacho.

The Blueskin Energy Network smart grid provides one pathway for optimising energy efficiency, with its connected nodes generating, storing and sharing electricity. GRAPHIC: MAT PATCHETT If our energy systems don’t bend to the winds of change something is going to give, writes Scott Willis.