Day Trip: Ōamaru
Last Saturday, we drove about an hour south to a coastal town called Ōamaru. Better known for THEIR penguins (they also have resident yellow-eyed penguins and a big nesting ground for Little Blues), it’s more of a tourist town than Timaru is.
Ōamaru also celebrates its Victorian heritage, both in its preserved architecture as well as an annual celebration. Shops, bakeries, tasting rooms and cafés line pedestrian-only roads. We thought we’d eavesdrop on a tour group to learn a few things until we realized they were speaking German!
We did a short walk through a nature reserve down to a vacant beach, where the signs kindly ask that you vacate by 3pm so as to not interrupt the penguins returning to shore.
On our way back north, we detoured into the hillside town of Waimate. While Little Brother tried out their skate park and Big Brother tested Dad’s soccer skills, Mom took a few photos of murals and old buildings that she found. We’ll be back in a few weeks for their annual Strawberry Faire, complete with a visit from Father Christmas.
