Steampunk HQ

We see that furrowed brow. What is steampunk? It's Victorian meets steampowered mechanics, with a dash of sci-fi, a touch of class, and the frenetic, creative energy of a mad scientist. It's a little bit strange, a little bit weird and incredibly fun. Don't worry if you're not quite sure you ‘get it' – that's part of the charm.

The origins of steampunk are slightly ambiguous. Many creative works had nods to the aesthetic, but the honour of coining of the name is given to writer Kevin Jeter, who wrote in a 1987 letter, “Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term… something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like ‘steam-punks', perhaps .... ”

It's more than a look or ‘costume' but a way of viewing the world, a way of life even.

There are no constraints on imagination, which must be a thrilling outlet for those who spend their day in a traditional 9-5er. In the past decade, Ōamaru has become an internationally recognised steampunk hub. The town appears to have embraced it in a copper-clad, top-hatted, cogs-andgearsdecorated embrace. They've run with it, with credit coming back to Agent Darling, AKA Iain Clark, whose single handcrafted steampunk beer mug kickstarted a revolution. One cup turned into an exhibition, which became the most important and longest-running steampunk festival in this hemisphere.

At its heart is Steampunk HQ, a sort of bonkers place that will entertain, bewilder and enchant guests. Dark corners reveal repurposed machinery, art installations, tools, skulls, glowing TVs and mind-blowing light shows. Nothing is quite what it seems, which may be just as well in the case of the Doomsday Clock.

Described as an ‘exhibition space and art gallery', Steampunk HQ is all a bit mad but wildly fun. Just don't expect to be able to answer when the kids ask “what's that?”. 1 Humber Street, Ōamaru. steampunkoamaru.co.nz