Dan Bregmen and Abby McErlane opened Tees St cafe in October 2014 and
have earned a loyal local following. The cafe is ''off the beaten track'' a bit, but Mr Bregmen (pictured) says he enjoys offering a
sometimes surprising and different experience.
Purple Taylor had always dreamed of putting her own ''little world'' together and two and a-half years ago set up Studio Realm in Oamaru's Victorian Precinct. It is her studio space, as well as a gallery of crafts and clothing.
Donna Demente stands in her studio space of the Grainstore Gallery. She moved to Oamaru in 1995 and has been active in reviving the civic culture of the town. Thirteen years ago, she set up the gallery, which is filled with an array of original artworks.
Duty manager Matthew Wicks pours a glass of whisky at the New Zealand Whisky Collection Cellar Door. The Cellar Door, in the historic Loan and Merc building, is open seven days a week for samples of the
company's full range of specialty whiskies.
Cristy Holding (pictured) opened Housekeepers Design in the historic Loan and Merc building in 2013. It sells homewares, giftware, fresh flowers and coffee. She has expanded the business to offer a boutique function centre.
Oamaru's Victorian Precinct has become a real hub of creativity, comprising a variety of shops, galleries, cafes, bars and restaurants, a brewery, workshops, a steam train, and curious steampunk-inspired attractions. Rebecca Ryan wanted to capture some of the people of the precinct who help bring it alive.
Photops by Rebecca Ryan; prints available from otagoimages.co.nz.
