Waimate has firmly established itself as a second-hand shopping destination.

Over the past few years the number of stores has multiplied.

New Zealand’s second-hand market is now estimated to be worth $5.5 billion, with stores helping reduce landfill, strengthen local economic resilience and attract visitors to small towns.

Most of us know how to shop in them but how can we interact with the local stores to keep our clutter out of landfill?

Buying property can feel complicated. Add in national headlines about housing affordability, and it’s easy to assume home ownership is out of reach altogether.

But local property professionals say Waimate is a bit different.

They’ve organised a free seminar next month aimed at helping people better understand the local market, finance and home-buying process.

The Waimate District Council called an urgent public meeting at the Waimate Event Centre on Thursday night following the Government’s announcement of the “Head Start” programme, giving councils just 90 days to develop amalgamation proposals.

Across the country, a growing land-sharing movement is connecting people who want to farm with those who have available land.

In a local example, Carl Barnes, a former chef who once cooked for the likes of Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise, is now growing nutrient-rich organic food for local tables and other chefs.

Happy hens, cows and sheep are living their best lives on Arnstead Farm at Ikawai, on the plains of the Waitaki River.

Diversity, resilience and big biological bombs are all part of the system producing high quality food for top eateries and tables across the country

A soldier looks out over Waimate from the painted silos.

That soldier is Eric Batchelor.

He’s one of the country’s most decorated war heroes -  described at his funeral as an “ordinary extraordinary person”.

As we head into Anzac Day we look at the story behind the soldier on the silos - also known and The Ferret and The Waimate Warrior.

A bottle of beer was left at the Waihao Forks Hotel in 1939, for a soldier to drink when he returned from war.

He never did, and the bottle remains there to this day.

It makes the news most Anzac Days. Scottish comedian Billy Connolly called in to see it for himself while touring NZ.

Ted’s bottle is a sad reminder of all the young people who lost their lives while serving overseas.  

During the First World War, a lot of the district’s young people were a long way from home.

Farms still needed running, shops still opened, families got on with things - while waiting on letters, and sometimes, bad news.

In 1915, that news came with the sinking of the Marquette, a troop ship with British and Kiwi soldiers and medical staff onboard.

It’s been a year since Waimate said no to the incinerator - but the conversation around waste hasn’t gone away.

At the Big Organic Day Out, the focus shifted to what comes next, with a clear message: we need to get better with our waste - and it’s easier than you might think.

We look at where Why Waste Waimate Inc is now, and share some simple, practical tips to help you cut down what you throw out.

The 114th Waimate Sheep Dog Trials wrapped up this weekend, with great conditions across the two days.

We caught up with some of the people behind the scenes to find out more about this long rooted district tradition.

If you’ve been up Point Bush Road, you will have noticed number 126. Dark, sleek, and jutting out over a large elevated section - it stands out.

The owners designed the home themselves, with a lot of thought put into how it actually works day to day - and it’s on the market.

One of Waimate’s major sporting events is making a comeback, with the Waimate Storage Invitational White Horse Pairs Tournament set for 11-12 April.

The big guns of NZ golf are heading to Waimate for the tournament, it will be a great couple of days of action.

Community groups across Mid and South Canterbury have shared more than $100,000 in the latest funding round from the Community Trust of Mid and South Canterbury - including support for one of Waimate’s key events.

Waimate’s changed over the past decade, with more people visiting - and more choosing to stay.

We sat down with local property experts Julie-Anne Davidson (Jules) and Dionne Haywood to see what that means for the market.

The Waimate Art Society has a new chair, with local photographer Tiffany Ottley stepping into the role.

Ottley says she’s looking forward to building on the work of previous chairs and committee members, and continuing to grow what is already a well-supported creative community.

Small towns across Aotearoa New Zealand have a habit of paying tribute to the things that define them. There’s giant fruit, fish, a carrot and even a can of L&P.

In Waimate, we celebrate the mighty Clydesdales that helped break in the land here, with a white horse on the hill overlooking town.

Wallabies, pigs and goats have had the run of Studholme Bush Scenic Reserve for years.

But not for much longer.

A Young Farmers exchange competition more than 50 years ago took Lex Young halfway around the world and led to friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

Young entrepreneurs are now a regular feature at the Waimate Community Market.

After trialling free stalls for kids in January and seeing a strong response, the market committee has decided to make the idea permanent.

Ahead of this year’s Aoraki Woman of the Year event, we caught up with Roselyn Fauth nee Cloake to talk about the work that led to her nomination, and how the win gave her space to stop, reflect, and ask a bigger question about whose stories get told - and whose don’t.