attractions
It's all here
If seeing rather than doing is your thing then there are a number of attractions in Oamaru and the greater Waitaki that will keep you and your family entertained.
Surf Kakanui
The Oamaru Public Gardens are among the oldest in the country, opened officially in October 1876. The beautiful gardens distinctly reflect the unique style and heritage of Oamaru set among canopies of mature trees and themed plantings. Meander around streams and ponds and enjoy a tranquil charming experience.
The Gardens are open seven days per week and entry is free. Oamaru Public Gardens gardens are smoke-free. Dogs on leashes are welcome. Public toilet facilities and kids play ground located on site.
Victorian Precinct
Oamaru embraces its strong Victorian history and this is showcased strongly in its architecture, events and culture.
Stroll through New Zealand’s best preserved Victorian commercial streetscape. The original buildings, made from locally quarried limestone, are a testament to Ōamaru’s boom era, when it was an important port town, sending the first frozen meat exports around the world.
Easily explored by foot, today the buildings are filled with galleries, shops, artisans, and delicious places to eat and drink.
Boutique & Artisan Retail Therapy
If you are simply wanting to indulge in a little retail therapy then there are an array of boutiques, stores and galleries to delight your artistic or fashion senses.
Be sure to check out Art on Tyne, Housekeepers Design, Presence on Harbour, Tangles, Mrs Hyde, Riverstone Shops, Inspirations and William Bee Merchants to name but a few.
Steampunk Museum
Steampunk HQ, New Zealand’s premier steampunk experience is proudly based in the Victorian Precinct of Oamaru.
It sets out to portray an industrial version of steampunk. It is crazy, quirky and unique unlike any other visitor attraction in New Zealand.
Steampunk HQ must be experienced rather than explained.
Oamaru Opera House
The Oamaru Opera House is an intimate & thoroughly unique New Zealand venue, community owned, bringing you the latest in entertainment from around the globe.
Penguin Colony
The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony provides visitors with an opportunity to see little penguins in their natural environment. A tour during the day allows visitors to peek into the penguins’ nests, stroll through their habitat and learn about their fascinating lives. In the evening, visitors are captivated by watching the nightly arrival of penguins from their days’ fishing at sea.
Steam Train
Oamaru Steam and Rail was founded in 1985. A small tourist train is operated every Sunday from Oamaru's world famous historic precinct to the Victorian harbour. This is a fun way to see the harbour and Precinct.
Oamaru Public Gardens
A botanical wonderland from Victorian days, the Oamaru Public Gardens are a beautiful place to stroll and dream.
Pennyfarthings
Its not unusual to see the odd pennyfarthing rider on any regular day and you can definitely expect to see these quirky bikes during the Victorian Festival. The static pennyfarthing down at the Victorian Precinct makes a great snap shot for your holiday album.
Live Music Gigs
Check out our Events page for links to local live gigs. Scotts Brewery have a regular band and its a great way to while away a sunday afternoon.
Kakanui Sunflower Fields
Kakanui is famous for its stunning sunflowers field. The sunflowers are usually blooming in February – and it’s definitely worth the view!
This field has played host to many a photographer and film crew over the years.
Riverstone Kitchen
Riverstone Kitchen is an award-winning restaurant nestled in the spectacular North Otago countryside. Riverstone has gained a reputation for delicious food, simply prepared from local, seasonal ingredients.
Riverstone Country
Riverstone Country is filled to the rafters with homewares, a year-round Christmas shop and an abundance of dried flowers. You can easily lose yourself for a couple of hours here just exploring. You won’t leave disappointed or most likely empty handed. Be sure to enjoy a bite to eat at Riverstone Kitchen while you are there and make a whole afternoon of it. (Bookings at the restaurant are recommended)
Riverstone Castle
Riverstone Castle is the creation of Dot and Neil Smith. Surrounded by a lake and set on the Smith’s dairy farm behind Riverstone Kitchen.
Built from local Oamaru stone, Riverstone Castle makes for a dramatic backdrop to the rest of the Riverstone complex.
Tours through the castle are held periodically throughout the year. For future dates, you can follow Riverstone Castle on Facebook.
Grainstore Gallery
Situated in the Victorian Precinct of Oamaru, the Grainstore Gallery is the result of the creative artist Donna Demente's endless imagination. Grainstore Gallery is quite unlike any other you will find anywhere and well worth a visit.
Oamaru Farmers Market
Oamaru Farmers' Market is open every Sunday between 9.30am and 1pm on the corner of Wansbeck and Tyne Streets next to Scott's Brewery in the historic Oamaru. Click here for more information.
Steampunk Playground
Oamaru Harbour features a wonderful steampunk themed playground for the kids located at Friendly Bay which boasts an exciting range of play equipment including the famous penny farthing swing, giant elephant, hamster wheel and a specially designed steampunk drinking fountain. Kids and Adults alike will delight in a whizz on the zip line.
Oamaru Harbour
Oamaru Harbour is New Zealand's only surviving authentic Victorian/Edwardian deepwater port, paralleling the town's uniquely intact colonial architectural inheritance. In colonial New Zealand, ports were fundamental to the local and regional economy. Today, Oamaru Harbour remains a busy and vibrant part of Oamaru's recreational and local fishing industry.
Scotts Brewery Tour
Scotts Brewing Co. is based at the foot of Oamaru’s Victorian Harbour Precinct. Overlooking Friendly Bay, the brewery’s sheltered sunny deck and beer garden is the perfect setting for enjoying a cold one, in a true southern style!
Whitestone Cheese Factory Tour
A tour of the Whitestone Cheese Factory provides a behind the scenes look at Whitestone's cheese making process, all the way from; make to taste. You will get to experience a cheese tasting, informative talk and guided tour of the factory through their viewing galleries, and walk away with a goody bag sample.
For the more indulgent foodie, you have the opportunity to upgrade tours - to include a cheese and wine matching.
Trotters Gorge
Trotters Gorge is located 12 kilometres to the north of Palmerston, inland from State Highway 1.
The area is a popular day trip for visitors from Oamaru and Dunedin, with several walking tracks, a picnic area, and campsite, and the area around the gorge itself is noted for its geological and botanical features. The gorge itself is filled with native bush, including kōwhai, kanuka, and other species. Some of the plant and insect life is unique to the area, and birdlife is abundant.
Forrester Gallery
The Forrester Gallery is housed in a spectacular neo-classical building originally constructed in 1884 for the Bank of New South Wales. The Forrester offers the Waitaki and wider region a varied and exciting exhibition programme, houses a growing collection of artworks significant to the region, and stands as an icon of Oamaru's unique historic precinct.
Elephant Rocks
The large hummocky rock formations that look a lot like Elephants were created after fossil-rich limestone deposited millions of years ago eroded and smoothed out by the weather, sun and rain.
The Elephant Rocks area is on private farm land and tourists are kindly allowed access by a donation at the entry gate.
Shag Point
Shag Point Nature Reserve stunning views of the coast and seals. You can walk a short walk from the car park to watch the seals bathing or the shag colony relaxing.
Shag Point is sign posted 9 km north of Palmerston on SH1. Turn at the sign onto Shag Point Road, and follow until you reach the reserve carpark.
Totara Estate
Established in the 1850s near Oamaru, Totara Estate became nationally significant in 1882 when it exported New Zealand’s first shipment of frozen meat overseas, making it the birthplace of what is now a billion-dollar frozen meat export industry.
Totara Estate is a complex of four one-storey buildings, and presents a very well laid out historic estate and everything is explained and full of knowledge and history.
Katiki Historic Reserve
Katiki Point is the southern point of Moeraki Peninsula. This short walk has commanding coastal views, where you'll see the historic lighthouse, Te Raka a Hineatea Pā site, and possibly yellow-eyed penguins and NZ fur seals, along with many other coastal species.
Janet Frame House
Author Janet Frame lived at 56 Eden Street from the age of six until she left Oamaru after completing secondary school. Her childhood became one of the best known of any New Zealander after she wrote of its joys and sorrows in her bestselling autobiography, which was immortalised in the celebrated film An Angel at my Table. The key rooms are very much as they looked during the Frame residency. The house is not a restoration, it has become what is now called a re-framing, a combination of known facts and recollections.
Nicol's Blacksmith
Nicol's Blacksmith is one of the only remaining working village blacksmiths in New Zealand. Restored back to its former glory and is open for viewing daily by donation and with a working blacksmith most weekends 10am-2pm between November and May. (Labour Weekend until Queens Birthday weekend). Blacksmithing courses available with booking.
Vanished World Centre
The Vanished World Centre at Duntroon is the heart of the Vanished World Trail with displays that help explain and interpret the fossils, rocks, localities, and landforms along the Trail.
Visitors wishing to participate in the fossil heritage of the Waitaki are able to gain a greater appreciation of the unique nature of the area by viewing these displays. Specimens are mostly from within a 20km radius of the village of Duntroon.
The fossils – whales, dolphins, and invertebrates, reveal the marine ecosystems of the Oligocene time some 20-30 million years ago.
Top 10
If you haven't done so already be sure to check out our top 10 experiences. We are sure you will find something for all the family to enjoy.