Waimate Overview

Nestled midway between Timaru and Oamaru, the town of Waimate (Why-MATEY; pop. 2,700) lies at the heart of “Wallaby Country” and offers the kind of small-town quirks that lonely drivers on SH1 appreciate. Instead of checking in at the visitor center for info, stop by the “wallaby wander” at EnkleDooVery Korna, just north of town on SH82, where affable owner Gwen lets you get up close and personal with her brood of over 40 tame, hand-raised wallabies. Grab a handful of feed and puzzle over the group known as “The Luckless Trifecta.” Gwen’s other babies include ferrets, enormous rabbits, peacocks, and Muffin—the differently-abled pony. (☎689 7197; cdtaxidermysafari@xtra.co.nz. Open late Sept.-May 10am-5pm, or by appointment.) Kelcey’s Bush Animal Park, 7km up Mill Rd. from downtown Waimate, displays a wide range of animals in a zoo-like setting. Ask about one-hour guided nighttime bush walks through the habitat of wild wallabies. (☎689 8057; www.kiwicamps.com. Feeding tours daily 9am and 3:30pm. Bush walks limited to 5 people. Admission $5. Tours $12. On-site camping facilities available; call ahead for prices and availability.) Just a few blocks down High St. from the center of town, the Hollies Heritage Homestead, 232 High St., provides an out-of-time variation on colonial British culture. Owners Tim and Gail have lovingly refurbished an 1860s farm house, right down to the kitchen stove, upon which they prepare fresh scones and tea. Be sure to ask Poppy the parrot about his independent film career. (☎689 7576. Open daily 10am-6pm or by appointment. $8, under 12 $4; tea $3.50.) Outside of town to the west, Waimate offers a few worthwhile walks and birding opportunities. The information center (☎689 7771; www.waimate.org.nz), 75 Queen St., can provide a good map of the area and descriptions of the local walks. (Open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-2pm.)

Make sure to stop by The Berry Barn (☎689 8749) around the corner from Gwen on SH82 for some of Waimate’s famous strawberries and fresh fruit ice cream ($3.50; in summer only), mixed as you wait. For a true taste of Waimate, dare to sample a wallaby pie ($3.50) at the Savoy Tea Rooms, 59 Queen St., next to the visitor center. (☎689 7147; wallaby pie usually sells out by midday.)

Waimate is best seen from the White Horse Lookout, a 60 ft. concrete slab Clydesdale embedded in the hillside commemorating the packhorses which helped to settle the region. The monument can be reached on foot via the steep two and a half hour Waimate Walkway, or by car on a seven kilometer unpaved road. (Take a left on Mill Rd. from Queen St. and follow signs to Parkers Rd. and Centrewood Park.) Although much of the native forest around Waimate was wiped out in an 1878 fire, good walks remain. Turn right onto Parsonage Rd. as you come into town on SH82 and follow signs for Methodist Camp to Gunn’s Bush, a moderately strenuous 1hr. hike under moss-draped Totara trees. Kelsey’s Bush, 3km past the Animal Park, offers a 10min. trail to a secluded waterfall overlook, as well as company from the occasional pheasant, escaped from a nearby safari park. Maps for both walks are available at the information center (see above).