Oamaru and Surrounds

If I’m honest I wasn’t expecting great things from Oamaru, however I must say I was more than pleasantly surprised. It exceeded all of my expectations. There is a lot to see in Oamaru itself and in the surrounding area. I owe Oamaru a huge apology. It is definitely worth the trip. It just goes to show that you need to experience something before dismissing it.

The Victorian Precinct is an eclectic mix of cafes, bakeries, unique retail stores, and galleries. Ranging from the mainstream to the outright bizarre. Oamaru has embraced the Steampunk movement, no place more so than in the Victorian Precinct.

The Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust owns 16 buildings in the precinct. Most of the buildings were built during the period 1865 – 1885 and are today New Zealand’s most complete streetscape of Victorian commercial buildings. The buildings are constructed of locally quarried limestone. Netflix recently filmed part of the East of Eden series in the streets.

The Visitor’s Information office is situated in the old Neill Brother’s Store at 12 Harbour Street. They have information on Oamaru and the local area as well as displays from the Victorian era. The ladies where lovely and very informative.

• Harbour Street – Victorian Precinct
• Buggybot workshop and gallery
• Collection of Penny Farthings
• Local Gallery
• And for something a little more extraordinary try this second gallery
• Collection of laneway stores

At the far end of Harbour Street just across the railway, you will find the Steampunk Museum. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m glad I went in with an open mind. It started out as quite intriguing and by the end it struck me as quite bizarre. Some aspects of it seem to have a bit of a dark side to them, others are just strange. However, I can say “Been there, done that”.

Some of the shops in the area have a steampunk theme going on and there are a couple of places that offer Steampunk High Teas on occasion. Participants get dressed in all their steampunk finery.

Finished my roaming (some 3+ hours) with a wine at the Criterion Hotel on the corner of Harbour & Tyne Streets.

One morning I went on a tour of the Whitestone Cheese Factory which included a cheese tasting at the end. I added on a wine tasting with the cheese tasting. The cheese was excellent! Some Whitestone Blue, Aged Airedale and Halloumi just happened to make its way back to Reefton. The shop and Deli is also a great place for lunch.

One evening I walked out along the Holmes Wharf to back at the city of Oamaru. The harbour is home to a small fishing fleet and a number of pleasure boats. If you keep walking around the waterfront you will arrive at the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. If you’re lucky you might see one or two crossing the road a couple of hours after dusk when they come back into shore. A majority of the colony com in via the Blue Penguin Viewing Stands which can only be accessed by paying a fee. No photos are allowed when the penguins are coming ashore.

The Moeraki Boulders are an easy 30 – 35 minute drive south of Oamaru. I followed a smaller coastal road as far as I could on the way down before connecting with the main highway. This was about 5 – 10 minutes longer but was a pretty drive.

There is a good-sized carpark with toilets, café and souvenir shop at the Moeraki Boulder site. It was busier than I expected, and I had to wait so I could get a photo of the boulders without people climbing on them and being in shot. Be patient if you want a “people free” photo. You can take a stroll along the beach where you might come across a fur seal. Just give them a bit of space as they can be a bit “cranky” at times.

Shag Point Seal Colony is a 20 minute drive from Moeraki Village with the last 2km along a dirt road which is suitable for all cars. A stunning piece of coastline. There are a number of benches and seats to sit on to take in the view. There were a few seals there during my visit and some were swimming/bathing in the calm inlet while I was there.

Hampden – the only reason I stopped was to have a look at this shop. Unfortunately, it was closed. I would have loved to have had a poke round in there.

I visited the Vanished World Centre in Duntroon – which is part of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, New Zealand’s first UNESCO Geopark. There is a small gift shop and for a small fee you can look through the fossil displays and “dig” for your own fossil from lumps of local limestone. I managed to find lots of broken bits of shell and one teeny tiny complete shell – approximately 25 million years old.

While I was at the Vanished World Centre, I picked up a map of the Self Drive Scenic Tour map of the local fossil sites. It can be done as a loop, or you can pick and choose how far you want to go. There is an option to download the Geopark App – though I wouldn’t count on 100% phone coverage – take the map as a backup.

Maerewhenua Maori Rock Art – these have been fenced off as there are some low-life people out there that can’t help but de-face/graffiti historical places like this. It makes me mad every time I see it.

Waipata/Earthquakes Geosite – the road to this site becomes a dirt road soon after leaving Duntroon. Once again, it’s suitable for all cars but take car as there was stock on the road when I drove it. To enter the site, there are some steps up and over the stock fence. The track takes 5 – 6 minutes and is gently sloping uphill. There are information boards at the end of the trail. There is also a partially dug whale fossil on display. It is in a cage, and I found it difficult to get a good clear photo but it is easy to view and there is an diagram explaining each part nearby.

Elephant Rocks Geosite – I drove back into Duntroon and back on the sealed Livingstone – Duntroon Road to this site. This site is located on private property on a working farm. There is a parking area with a couple of picnic table. A perfect lunch-stop for me. There is a “long-drop” toilet tucked away in a corner of the rock field if needed.

I enjoyed walking around this area and locking at the various rock formations. I saw Elephants, a Skull, the Lindt Bunny, the Backend of a Toad and a Crocodile on a Hilltop to name a few.

On Thursday I went down to Clark’s Flour Mill, a 15 minute drive South on the main highway. The mill is open on Thursday’s and Sunday’s. On Sunday the volunteers will get the mill going for a demonstration. I was lucky, as there was a school group scheduled for a tour the day I went, and I was able to see the mill running – a special event for school groups.

Check out the videos below. I love seeing this older machine running, I think because it reminds me of my Dad who helped restore traction engines, a vintage car (a 1914 Unic) and other machinery. I also find the sound mesmerising and appreciate the ingenuity and craftmanship. There are four floors of flywheels, belts and bits of machinery.

Unless you’re a member of Heritage New Zealand there is an admission fee.

After the Flour Mill it was back to Totara Estate. The birthplace of frozen meat industry in New Zealand. You can go on a Guided Tour or you can walk round on a self-guided tour. It was enjoyable to walk round taking my time to look at what I wanted. There is a kitchen garden on-site which looked like it had been very productive over the Summer. Growing up in rural New Zealand I enjoyed poking round and learning a bit of the local farming history.

I also timed it to have a Devonshire Tea lunch. It was lovely to sit outside on such a beautiful warm sunny day. Note, if you see the farm cat she can be a bit cranky.

Once again, unless you’re a member of Heritage New Zealand there is an admission fee. The estate is only open September – May, Thursday to Monday.