Chillawhile Backpackers & Art Gallery

Go up to the lookout...

by kiwi

It's worth taking the bus up to the lookout, especially if the weather is nice. You can see all up the coast, and over the town.
Go to the Information Office to find out about when the bus runs and where to catch it. Up at the lookout there is a large couch/sofa made from dirt and grass, and it's fun for a group to sit there together smelling the lovely sea air and taking in the view.

THE WHITE HORSE

by balhannah

The White Horse is something that caught our eye when visiting here, it is very hard to miss!

This big White Horse was made from 1,220 concrete slabs with the head being over 2 1/2 tonne and is on the side of Hunter's hill. It was put there in commemoration of the work done by the Clydesdales in developing Waimate district.

Waimate is best seen from the White Horse Lookout.

The monument can be reached on foot via a steep two and a half hour Waimate Walkway, or by car on a seven km unpaved road. (Take a left on Mill Rd. from Queen St. and follow signs to Parkers Rd. and Centrewood Park.)

SEAFARER'S MEMORIAL LOOKOUT

by balhannah

A memorial to all seafarers who sailed from the Port of Oamaru and lost their lives at sea is the lookout. From here, you get fantastic views of Oamaru and the bay, it is well worth coming to, a must see here!

Please be patient with this Page...

by Kakapo2

Sorry - I have not had the time yet to build this page. But you find a lot of information in the one exisiting Things to Do tip that I have published, information about Oamaru's history, its basilica, its penguins, and its cultural heritage.

Amazing Oamaru

by K1W1

"Oamaru, on the map at last !"

This was my home town when I was growing up and as I return to visit, it is easy to see that the focus of this quiet agricultural based town has shifted dramatically.
As I drove into town, I saw what looked like a tourist with a camera dangling around his neck - was he lost ?? This is Oamaru and tourists never stopped here !
It didn't take long to realise that Oamaru, which once relied on the continued business at the Waitaki Freezing Works to prevent the town from turning into a ghost town, had discovered a new industry, tourism.
With the historic buildings district (which currently has a proposal put forward to UNESCO for its protection), and the Blue Penguin colony being the major drawcards, it then doesn't take much scratching under the surface to see that there is actually quite a lot to see and do whilst visiting Oamaru.