 Waitaki region administration building and information center | ||
| Oamaru | ||
| region | Otago | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 12.700 | |
other value for residents on Wikidata: 13150, 13107, 13700   | ||
| Tourist info web | Visit Oamaru | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Oamaru is a city on the Pacific coast in the Waikato region in Otago.
background
Oamaru is the center of the Waitaki region. The cityscape is dominated by beautiful Victorian-style buildings made from the white limestone found in the area. Frozen meat was being shipped from New Zealand to England in the port of Otago as early as 1880, and the city initially experienced a continuous upswing. In the meantime this is long gone, the port turned out to be too small for modern ships and was closed. In the meantime, a virtue has been made out of necessity: the old port has been converted into a shopping district in a historical guise.
getting there
By plane
The small airfield of Oamaru, IATA code OAM is on SH 1 north of the city, he is using small machines from Christchurch from.
By bus
Oamaru is accessible by buses from Atomic Travel and the Coast Line Tours
In the street
Oamaru is on SH 1 between Christchurch and Dunedin.
mobility
Dynamic cardsTourist Attractions
- The Harbor area with buildings from the Victorian era. Here you will find shops with furnishings as they were a hundred years ago and staff in robes from that time.
- The Thames Street is the main street of the city, worth seeing buildings made of white Oamaru limestone are the building of the Waitaki District Councils, the former opera from 1907, the former Bank of New South Wales and the North Otago Museum in the building of the former Athenaeum.
- Not far from the port is on Graves track a small colony of blue penguinsThe extremely endangered yellow-eyed penguin can also be found a little further on. There is a small museum and you can visit the blue penguin colony during the day. There is a special date in the evening when the old penguins come from the sea. The expensive "premium" places are closer to the penguins' running track, but you can actually see very well from all places. Binoculars and a blanket are recommended (yes, it will be cold). The penguins gather in large groups very far out at sea and then quickly come to the beach and the nests. Then there is a loud chatter between the penguins, the daily news is just exchanged. If you walk along the harbor after the "penguin parade", you will certainly see a penguin on the bank, but the crowd of penguins is worth seeing.
- It's north of Oamaru Historic Totara Estate, this is where New Zealand's frozen meat production began.
- Oamaru Public Gardens, laid out in 1876
- A steam train runs behind the old port facility on weekends
activities
shop
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
- Empire Backpackers. Stylish building on Thames Street, centrally located, offers sleeping options from NZL- $ 23, double rooms NZL- $ 28.
- AAA Thames Court Motel, located on the northern outskirts on SH 1.
- Criterion Hotel. Victorian building on Tyne Street by the Old Harbor.
- Cedar Cottage Countrystay, on the southern outskirts near the golf course.
health
Practical advice
trips
From Oamaru you can get there on the SH 83 into the Waitaki Valley. On the way to Omarama you get through
- Duntroon that Vanished World Center shows fossils of penguins and whales
- Elephant Rock (44 ° 53'35.4 "S 170 ° 39'20.4" E access from the Island Cliff-Duntroon road) It is a great impressive group of single weathered limestone cliffs (5 to 10m high) on a sheep pasture. In 2005, the scene from Aslan's camp was filmed here for the first film in The Chronicles of Narnia.
- Maori art (signposted on the street) is not very impressive.
- Kurow with the Waitaki Pioneer Museum.
- Further up the river are three reservoirs, which are primarily used to generate electricity:
- the Lake Waitaki, the Lake Aviemore and the Lake Benmore They are also used for local recreation, there are camping facilities on its banks, salmon and trout fishing, sailing and jet skiing are other popular activities.
