Oamaru

A Victorian town built of white stone, home to little blue and yellow-eyed penguins, Steampunk HQ and the Waitaki Geopark.

Oamaru (Ōamaru) lies on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island in North Otago's Waitaki District, about 250 km south of Christchurch and 115 km north of Dunedin, with a population of around 14,000. It grew rich on wool and grain in the 19th century, and many of its buildings, made from the local creamy limestone known as Oamaru stone, survive today, forming the country's most complete Victorian historic precinct; in recent years it has also become famous for steampunk culture. It's a penguin town too: every evening at the Blue Penguin Colony by the harbour, little blue penguins come ashore, and at Bushy Beach to the south you can watch endangered yellow-eyed penguins from a distance. The climate is mild and fairly dry; Nov–Mar is penguin breeding season and peak tourist season, while winter is colder but quieter. A visit splits into three parts: the old town on foot (Harbour Street, the Tyne Street historic precinct, Steampunk HQ, the Opera House and the Public Gardens); penguins and sea cliffs along the coast; and a drive west into the UNESCO Waitaki Whitestone Geopark (Elephant Rocks, Vanished World Centre, Māori rock art). The Moeraki Boulders, about 35 km south, are usually visited on the way from Dunedin. Getting there: there's no commercial airport, so most visitors drive or take a long-distance bus from Christchurch or Dunedin; State Highway 1 runs through town. Allow 1–2 days, and be sure to save an evening for the penguins; book penguin viewing in advance, and watch out for penguins crossing the road at night.

Top sights

• Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony – A colony of little blue penguins, the smallest penguin species in the world. At sunset, watch groups waddle ashore from the sea from the vi…
• Victorian Precinct – New Zealand's best-preserved street of 19th-century white limestone buildings, lined with bookshops, workshops and craft stores. It's like…
• Steampunk HQ – A steampunk art space built from salvaged machinery. A retired locomotive out front that puffs steam and whistles, and a mirrored light roo…
• Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve – A cliff reserve south of town where, in the evening, you can watch rare yellow-eyed penguins come ashore from a viewing hut, with sea lions…
• Ōamaru Public Gardens – A Victorian garden completed in 1876, featuring a Chinese garden, a Japanese red bridge, glasshouses and fairytale sculptures, ideal for a…
• Elephant Rocks – Giant weathered limestone boulders scattered across a farm, resembling a herd of elephants; a filming location for The Chronicles of Narnia.
• Vanished World Centre – A fossil exhibition centre in the small town of Duntroon, introducing the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark and ancient whale and penguin fossils.
• Takiroa Rock Art Shelter – A Māori rock art site beneath limestone cliffs in the Waitaki Valley, with red and black animal and human figures dating back hundreds of y…
• Totara Estate – The birthplace of New Zealand's frozen meat export industry, where the first frozen lamb was shipped to Britain in 1882; the whitestone far…
• Forrester Gallery – A municipal gallery housed in an 1884 former bank building with Corinthian columns, showing art from North Otago and contemporary works.
• Ōamaru Opera House – A whitestone Edwardian theatre with a bell tower, built in 1907 and a landmark on Thames Street, still hosting concerts and plays after res…
• Riverstone Castle – A privately built medieval-style castle in the countryside, complete with moat and towers, next to a well-known restaurant and home décor s…
• Moeraki Boulders – Giant spherical rocks scattered across Koekohe Beach, up to 2 metres in diameter; a geological wonder of the Otago coast.
• Katiki Point Lighthouse – A headland lighthouse near Moeraki where, at dusk, you can watch yellow-eyed penguins return from the sea, and New Zealand fur seals often…

Where to eat

• Riverstone Kitchen – A restaurant run by chef Bevan Smith on his own farm, once named Cuisine magazine's Restaurant of the Year, cooking wit…
• Scott's Brewing Co. – A craft brewery in a former railway freight store in the harbour area, serving house-brewed beer and wood-fired pizza a…
• Cucina – A small Italian restaurant beside the old town, once awarded two chef's hats by Cuisine and one of Oamaru's most highly…

Itineraries

• New Zealand South Island In-Depth Grand Loop – A complete loop of the South Island starting from Christchurch, connecting coastlines, glaciers, fjords, peninsulas, an…