About Oamaru

Oamaru, with a population of about 12,700, is the centre of the Waitaki district with 20,223 residents which stretches from just south of Palmerston to the Waitaki River and inland to Lake Ohau.

Oamaru is renowned for its historic whitestone buildings made from locally-quarried limestone and is known as the "Victorian town''.

The Waitaki district and Oamaru offers something for everyone, with rural townships from its coast to the high country, including holiday towns at Otematata, Omarama and Kakanui. Main tourist attractions include the district's historic buildings, the Waitaki River hydro dams and lakes, the

Oamaru blue penguin colony, Moeraki Boulders, world-renowned gliding at Omarama and ski-ing at the Ohau snow field. All activities are covered.

Top three things to do:

Visit Oamaru's Victorian town and its Victorian heritage festival in November

The Moeraki boulders

Spend summer in the Waitaki Valley for its camping, boating and fishing.

Key contacts:

Waitaki District Council 03 433 0300.

I-site Information Centre 03 434 1656 for visitor-activities information.

Oamaru police: 03 433 1400.

Doctors: Emergency doctor 03 434 9444.

Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust: 03 434 5385 (information on heritage activities).

North Otago Museum and Archives: 03 434 1652.

Forrester Art Gallery: 03 434 1653.

Waitaki Aquatic Centre: 434 9940.

Otago Daily Times Oamaru office: 03 434 8635, Fax 03 434 8637, email oamaru@odt.co.nz [1] .

DAVID BRUCE
Otago Daily Times - North Otago Bureau Chief
Work: 03 434 8635
Cellphone: 027 542 2325.
P.O. Box 116, OAMARU 9400.