• HOME
  • Latest News
  • North Island New Zealand
    • Northland
    • Auckland Region
    • Waikato and Bay of Plenty
    • Coromandel
    • Central North Island
    • East Coast
    • Hawkes Bay
    • Taranaki
    • Wellington Region
  • South Island
    • Nelson and Golden Bay
    • Picton and Marlborough Sounds
    • Kaikoura
    • Christchurch and Canterbury
    • The West Coast
    • Otago, Southland
    • Queenstown and Wanaka
  • Women Travel the World
  • Map of Stories

Women Travel NZ

Accommodation, Tours and Stories for women travellers in New Zealand.

  • Accommodation
    • Accommodation for Women in NZ
    • Wwoofing and Work Exchange
  • Retreats
  • NZ Tour Companies
  • NZ Tours for Women
  • Overseas Tours for Women
  • About Us
    • Resources for Women Travel NZ Businesses
    • Write for WTNZ Blog
    • List with Women Travel
  • Women Travel Links
    • New Zealand links
    • Women Travel links and info
    • New Zealand Travel Writing
  • Insurance
You are here: Home / NZ Highlights / South Island / Otago, Southland / Oamaru – Cycling, Steampunk, Gardens and Sealife – lots to do here

Oamaru – Cycling, Steampunk, Gardens and Sealife – lots to do here

January 28, 2021 by rosemary 1 Comment

I have always just passed through Oamaru, but our new caravan has been our excuse to stay awhile at places like this.  We did not regret it – even extended our stay another night.  You could easily stay a week! Read our separate post on Cycling in Oamaru.

Oamaru - we love Waitaki

Oamaru – Steampunk Capital of NZ

Steampunk Oamaru

You may not know what Steampunk is, but a visit to the museum will open your eyes.  $10 a head gives you an invitation to another world. It is full of touchable knobs and leavers, there are mazes and hidden hallways to explore.

Victoriana

The old buildings of Oamaru have been reclaimed from their previous life, and provide a fabulous backdrop to the harbour precinct.  Lots of shops to explore.

  • The Opera House
  • Steampunk in Oamaru

Coffee in Oamaru:

Our favourites are The Galley (on harbour), Tees Street and Steam

Favourite Restaurant in Oamaru

Moeraki Boulders
Moeraki Boulders

A 30 minute drive south is a chance to explore the Moeraki Boulders and the legendary seafood restaurant Fleurs Place We shared a tasting plate of 5 different fish – all pan fried to perfection. Perfect!

  • Fleur Sullivan stopped at the table for a yarn
  • Fleurs Place Moeraki for seafood

Seabirds Galore

We smelt them before we saw them.  We had cycled around the inner harbour and I thought I smelt a fishing boat.  It became stronger and as we cycled on and I saw the source. 

Seabirds galore in Oamaru – we smelt them before we saw the- hundreds of young shags

Hundreds and hundreds of shags on an old wharf closed to the public. Definitely the source of the smell – this wharf had become the go to nursery for young shags.  It is summer, and the spring chicks seem fully grown, but still have not got their darker colours. A few terns are sheltering amongst them. 

Penguins – a must see

At dusk every  night about 200 little blue penguins come ashore to feed their young.  This is one of the must dos in Oamaru.

We paid a little more for a premium viewing ($49.50) and it was worth it.  Rug up as it is sometimes a bit of a wait – we are on Penguin Time. A good commentary and introduction as the little blues raft up off shore after their day fishing. 

Then the raft heads for shore, and each of them leaps out of the water to waddle up the hill.  There is a process of drying off and preparing for dry land living, and then they set off for their little homes.  The penguins seem wary of the few seals that lie around, but their antics are good entertainment before the penguins arrive.

Where to stay in Oamaru – Oamaru Top10 Holiday Park

Oamaru Top10 Holiday Park

Fantastic place to stay, especially if you have bikes – the Alps to Ocean Cycleway runs past the gate, and it borders the beautiful Oamaru Botanic Gardens.  Explore this at your leisure or use it as the cycleway to the Victorian and Steampunk precinct near the harbour. 

They have everything from Cabins to tent sites. We are in a drive in Caravan spot, under trees with a picnic bench and lots of room for the car and bikes.

Another spot a bit further north is the Ocean View Eco Motor Park to the North of the Town – great views over the sea.  Only a couple of powered sites. We cycled out there and met the owner who is really just starting out.  It suits self contained vehicles, not much in terms of facilities yet – a work in progress.  1a Caledonian Rd Oamaru.  Portaloos for toilets, no showers yet, a small shelter with BBQ etc.  No trees yet, but worth keeping an eye out for future trips.

Filed Under: Otago, Southland Tagged With: Caravan Adventures, North Otago, Oamaru, Top10 Holiday Park

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Newsletter

Tags

Abel Tasman Park Accommodation Akaroa Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail auckland Auckland accommodation Banks Peninsula Banks Peninsula Track Bay of Islands Birdwatching campervan hire Caravan Adventures Central Otago Christchurch Christchurch day trips cycling Devonport Food and Wine Hokianga hot pools kayaking Lake Tekapo Lesbian Nelson Northland Off the beaten track Otago Rail Trail Otago Rail Trail 2012 Piha Queenstown Rarotonga Retreats Road trips rotorua Sea kayaking The Gables The Night Sky tramping Venus Adventures Waikato and Bay of Plenty Waitomo Caves Walkways Whangarei Whangarei Heads Womens Adventures NZ

Women Travel the World on Twitter

Newsletter

Women Travel NZ and the World

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in