Oamaru Overview

While the rest of the country counts sheep to fall asleep, the folks in Oamaru (OH-ma-roo; pop. 12,500) picture the nightly return of their penguins. Known primarily for its blue penguin colony (the smallest penguins in the world), this town can easily entertain visitors who spend a day browsing antiques and collectables in the whitestone historic district or exploring nearby natural attractions.

Transportation. Lagonda Coach Travel and Bus Stop, 191 Thames St. (☎434 8716), is the local bus station. The cheapest and fastest bus on SH1, the Atomic Shuttle (☎322 8883), goes to Christchurch (3hr., 2 per day, $30) and Dunedin (1hr., 2 per day, $20). InterCity, which offers discounted rates for advanced booking, also heads to Christchurch (3hr., 2 per day, $37; extra late bus on F and Su) and Dunedin (2hr., 2 per day, $22). Although Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking, hitchers report heading up Severn St. to the edge of town. The upper end of Thames St. is reportedly the best place for a ride north.

Orientation And Practical Information. SH1 follows Thames Street into the heart of downtown Oamaru. The Oamaru i-Site, 1 Thames St., is on the left side of Thames St. after the train tracks. By car, continue straight after SH1 veers right onto Severn St.; walking from the bus stop, turn left onto Thames St. and continue 10min. The helpful staff has maps and brochures ($1-2) for nearby DOC attractions. (☎434 1656. Open Nov.-Mar. M-F 9am-6pm, Sa-Su 9:30am-6pm; Apr.-Oct. M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm.) From the visitors center, turn left onto Itchen St. and then follow Tyne St. around to the right to reach the historic district. Continue on Tyne St. and turn left on Waterfront Rd. to get to the Blue Penguin Colony. The BNZ, 149 Thames St. (☎434 3100), one block left from the bus station, has a 24hr. ATM. (Open M and Th-F 9am-4:30pm, Tu-W 9:30am-4:30pm.) Other services include: the police station (☎433 1400), off Severn St.; the pharmacy, 171 Thames St. (☎434 8315; open M-F 8am-6pm, Sa 10am-5pm, Su 11am-12pm and 5-5:30pm); the hospital, 8 Steward St. (☎433 0290), two blocks before the visitors center on the right; Internet at Small Bytes Computing, 187 Thames St. (☎434 8490; $5 for 1st 30min., $8 per hr.; open M-F 9am-5pm); the Oamaru Public Library, 62 Thames St., (☎434 1650; open M-W and F 9:30am-5:30pm, Th 10am-5:30pm, Sa 10am-12:30pm); the post office, at Severn and Coquet St. (☎433 1190; open M-F 8:30am-5pm).

Accommodations And Camping. While accommodations in Oamaru are near town center, the car-accessible hostels along the coast are some of the finest in the country. Housed in a historic 1867 hotel,  Empire Backpackers (BBH) , 13 Thames St., combines a convenient location with Victorian charm. Listen for the blue penguins that sometimes roost near the foundation. (☎434 3446; www.empirebackpackersoamaru.co.nz. Free Internet. Dorms $20; singles $33; twins and doubles $50. $3 BBH discount.) Those who make the uphill trek from the Oamaru i-Site to Swaggers Backpackers (BBH) , 25 Wansbeck St., at the intersection with Wharfe St., are rewarded with a fine view of the harbor and the warmth of a quiet home. (☎434 9999; swaggers@es.co.nz. Reception 8am-1pm and 4-6pm. Reservations recommended in summer. Dorms $21, singles $31, twins and doubles $45. $3 BBH discount.) The Red Kettle Hostel (YHA) , Cross and Reed St., is a simple, seasonal hostel with a large common area. (☎434 5008. Reception 8:30-12:30pm and 4-8:30pm. Closed June-Aug. Dorms $24; twins and doubles $58. $3 YHA discount.) The Oamaru Top 10 Holiday Park , up Chelmer St., is within walking distance of the center of town, adjacent to the Botanic Gardens and a small store. (☎434 7666 or 0800 280 202; www.oamarutop10.co.nz. Tent sites $14. Cabins $45 for 1, $20 per extra person; kitchen units $70; self-contained units $90.)

Food And Nightlife. Food in Oamaru gets better and more expensive as you approach the historic district. Those on a budget should stop in at Countdown supermarket, at the Thames and Severn St. split. (Open 7am-9pm daily.) Emma’s Cafe , 9 Itchen St., dishes out country mains ($19-27) in giant portions. (☎434 5246. Open M-Sa 6-9:30pm, Su 11:30am-3pm.)

Although Oamaru’s nightly post-penguin crowd quickly flocks home, local favorite The Last Post , across from Empire Backpackers, is licensed until 3am and is generally open until midnight. Split some nachos ($8.50) with a friend or two, or take your drink to the “Gaming Parlour” in the back. (☎434 8080. Extensive wine list. Open 11am-midnight. Kitchen closes at 9pm.) Rounding out Oamaru’s dismal late night offerings is dance club/billiard hall The Globe, at Thames and Coquet St.—you’ll hear it before you see it. (Open Th-Sa 9pm-around 2am.)

Sights And Outdoor Activities. You can reach the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony by walking south from the center of town to Waterfront Rd. or via Coastline Tours (see below). Arrive well before dusk to secure a prime seat for the nightly penguin triathlon: penguins swim the waves, climb the rock wall, and scurry to the nest box. Cameras are not permitted, but bring warm clothes and binoculars. (☎433 1195; www.penguins.co.nz. Viewing $17.50, students and BBH/VIP members $15.75, children $6. Call ahead for “Behind the Scenes” daytime tours of nest boxes, $10.) In order to see the larger yellow-eyed penguins, head to Bushey Beach around two hours before dusk. This is the northernmost penguin colony in the world. The population in Oamaru is growing slowly, despite strains of avian diphtheria that swept through in recent years, at times killing every chick in the colony. You can drive down Bushey Beach Rd. yourself, or take a tour of both penguin colonies through Coastline Tours. (☎434 7744 or 027 256 5651; www.coastline-tours.co.nz. 2hr. $25; admission to the blue penguin colony included. $3 YHA and BBH discounts.) Former manager of the blue penguin center Denis Dove gives 12-person tours coming within five feet of the penguins’ nest sites. (Ask at the visitors center for Denis’s phone number and times. Oct.-Feb. Tours 45min. $13.)

While Oamaru’s attractions center on its smallest feathery inhabitants, there’s plenty to do in town until the penguins come home. The historic district, with its mix of stately, restored buildings and dilapidated facades, surrounds Harbour and Tyne St. where the Sunday market is open 9am-4pm. Harbour St. resembles nothing so much as a Victorian ghost town, complete with employees clad in period garb. One of the newest additions to the historic district is The Barrel House, 14-16 Harbour St., which features a general store with local wines, beers, and whiskies and an attached 760-barrel whiskey bar. Guided 30min. tours ($15) of the whiskey aging facility, built from local stones and giant rimu beams, include a few whiskey samples at the end. (☎434 8842. 3- whiskey tasting $5. Open daily 10am-5:30pm.) Browse for second-hand books or relax on one of the tiger-mauled love seats at Slightly Foxed, 11 Tyne St., a converted warehouse. (☎434 2155. Open M-Sa 10am-5:30pm, Su 10am-4pm; closes 1hr. earlier in May-September. AmEx/MC/V.) The Oamaru i-Site arranges one hour historic tours of the district that peer inside the unrestored structures (ask for times and prices). North Otago Museum, 60 Thames St. (☎434 1652; open M-F 10:30am-4:30pm, Sa 10am-1pm, Su 1-4:30pm; free), and the Forrester Gallery, 9 Thames St. inside the old “Bank of New South Wales,” (☎434 1653; open daily 10:30am-4:30pm; free) make worthwhile rainy-day activities. For the few sunny days, Oamaru Gardens, on Severn St., features rhododendron and rose gardens, and no trip to the Gardens should end without a visit to the exotic bird enclosures nestled in the back. (Open dawn to dusk. Free.)