Spend an awesome weekend in characterful Oamaru.
Sharon Stephenson seeks out the best of Ōamaru over a long weekend
Big is good in Ōamaru, from vast skies and enormous limestone valleys chiselled by flat grey rivers, to views so surreal they look as though they’ve been painted. The B-side to this gobsmacking scenery is a chocolate-box town that’s big on charm and character. Here’s how to do a weekend in Ōamaru.
FRIDAY
2.00pm Nothing quickens the pulse quite like a jet boat experience. Head to Glenavy where Braided River Jet Boating will whisk you to the Waitaki Dam and then downstream to dart in and out of the Waitaki River’s lower braided channels. If you’re lucky, you might spot some rare and endangered river-nesting birds such as the black-fronted tern or the wrybill plover. 4.00pm On the way back to Ōamaru stop at Riverstone Country Giftshop where you’ll have trouble keeping your wallet in your handbag. The three sheds are filled with highly covetable homewares, vintage finds and gifts. Then wander the extensive gardens of Riverstone Kitchen, marvelling at how well things grow in the fertile Waitaki soil. 6.00pm Dinner tonight is at Riverstone Kitchen. But first there’s a tour of the owner’s home – Riverstone Castle. This medieval-style castle, which featured in NZ House & Garden in 2018, contains more than 150 tonnes of locally quarried Ōamaru stone and is as much fun as its owner, Dot Smith. (Note that tours are seasonal and only on Fridays to Sundays.) Then pop next door to the restaurant run by Dot’s son Bevan to enjoy whitebait bruschetta and deep-fried Spanish custard with salted caramel ice cream.
9.00pm Check into the Poshtel, just around the corner from
Ōamaru’s historic quarter. This is cool writ large: 15 uniquely themed rooms carved into the shell of an old seed warehouse. There’s even an in-house art gallery specialising in New Zealand and Pacific art.
SATURDAY
8.00am If you’ve never tried cinnamon brioche French toast with preserved plums and mascarpone, you’re in luck. The Tees St cafe, which you'll find in a historic building that started life as a drapery, is the kind of
cafe every neighbourhood should have.
9.00am It’s a short drive to the Ōamaru Lookout Point at South Hill. Once you’ve taken the obligatory selfie, walk off your breakfast on the tracks that cross-hatch the mountainside, stopping often to enjoy the views across Ōamaru Harbour. 10.00am History comes alive at the historic Victorian Precinct, 228m of handsome buildings carved out of blond Ōamaru stone. Check out the art galleries and shops, have your photo taken in Victorian costume and have a go at riding a penny farthing bicycle. 11.30am You’ve probably heard of steampunk, the sci-fi fantasy genre that takes its inspiration from steam-powered technology set in a futuristic version of 19th century England. Ōamaru is home to New Zealand’s Steampunk HQ and at the sprawling building on the fringe of the Victorian Precinct, the Steampunk Gallery will surprise and delight with all kinds of weird and wonderful exhibits. That includes The Portal, which could be as close as you’ll get to experiencing time travel. 1.00pm Keep the steampunk theme going with lunch at The Galley, a waterfront cafe with a rust-coloured facade. The Galley houses all manner of steampunk paraphernalia and its menu is filled with interesting-sounding meals such as Tactical Corset (corn fritters with pumpkin hummus guacamole) and Gouts of Flame (pork belly with slaw). 2.00pm By now it’s time for a beer. But not any old beer. Craftwork Brewery specialises in Belgium-style drops made by hand. Sample the barrel-aged sour beer and the farmhouse ales and buy some to take home.
3.00pm What goes well with beer? Cheese, of course. Fortunately, it’s not far to Whitestone Cheese which has been turning out awardwinning cheeses since 1987. Try to pick a favourite from the 25 artisan hard and soft cheeses made at this shrine to fromage that overlooks the ocean. 4.00pm Ōamaru once had more taverns than anywhere else in New Zealand – until it voted to ban alcohol in 1905, a prohibition that remained for many decades. Beer brewing didn't return to the town until Phil Scott and his wife Tyla came back from a stint in Auckland in 2013 to set up Scotts Brewing Co on Ōamaru’s waterfront. Sample an ale or cider outside or inside in front of the roaring fire.
6.00pm Dinner tonight is at Cucina Restaurant & Bar, run by Argentinian couple Yanina and Pablo Tacchini. Pablo is the force in the kitchen and his menu roams freely across the planet, dipping into Argentina, the Mediterranean and Japan. The 55-day aged rib-eye is a must-have but the lemon and ricotta fritters with dried raspberry meringue will change the way you think about dessert forever.
8.00pm You can’t come to Ōamaru and not see the world’s
smallest and arguably cutest penguins. As dusk falls, the blue penguins at the Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony will waddle up the beach. Remember to keep your distance.
SUNDAY
9.00am Start the day with breakfast at the Ōamaru Farmers' Market, followed by a stroll through the Ōamaru Public Gardens, 13ha or so of flowers, playgrounds, an aviary and a marble fountain. 11.00am Housed in a neoclassical building originally constructed in 1884 for a bank, the Forrester Gallery is a hub for local and emerging artists across the region. Fill your culture cup with art, photography and sculpture. 1.00pm Make the half-hour drive to Moeraki to dine at Fleurs Place, the famous seafood restaurant run by Fleur Sullivan. Order the smoked mussel and fish pie and you’ll understand why celebrity chef Rick Stein is one of Fleur’s biggest fans. 2.00pm While you’re in the 'hood, visit the Moeraki Boulders, the spherical rocks that litter the coastline between Moeraki and Hampden and which are part of the proposed Waitaki Whitestone Geopark, New Zealand’s first geopark. 3.30pm You have just enough time to pop into the Rainbow Confectionery factory shop in Ōamaru which has been making classic Kiwi lollies such as chocolate fish since 1884. It’s a fitting end to a sweet weekend in Ōamaru.