In a series featuring some of Otago's cafes, Rebecca Ryan finds good views and food in Oamaru.
Oamaru Harbour has become a rather special place.
Once neglected and unloved, the harbour is now alive with history, stories, creativity and activity.
Featuring vistas, salt air and brightly coloured boats, it is now a very accessible coastal jewel.
Tucked away on the Esplanade along Oamaru's waterfront is a little cafe called The Penguin's Nest, which dispenses Kiwi
comfort food in the form of pies, sandwiches, rolls, pizzas and sweet treats, fruit smoothies, milk shakes, freshly ground Gravity coffee and real fruit ice creams.
The real drawcard for the Penguins Nest Cafe is its setting, with its breathtaking views of the harbour and ever-changing colours.
Colour also plays an important part in the overall ambience of the cafe, the windows bordered with red, red-and-white striped awnings and a real ice-cream parlour by the sea look.
It has a relaxed, Kiwi vibe. On warm days, customers can soak up the sunshine in the outdoor seated area or enjoy a stroll along the waterfront with a coffee or ice cream in hand.
The Penguins Nest Cafe is well-supported by the Oamaru community, many of whom call in regularly for a coffee or a real fruit ice cream on a sunny day.
Watch as a combination of vanilla ice cream and raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, strawberry, banana or kiwifruit are blended together to create a lip-smacking treat.
But it is not just the locals who are beguiled by the coffee, ice cream and service. It's also proving a popular stop for tourists, conveniently located just 100m from the finish post of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
For owners Scott and Dee-Ann Fitzgerald, opening the cafe in February 2013 was just the start of their journey.
They have contributed to the growing buzz in the harbour area, as a year ago they also opened the Harbour Tourist Park at the site, offering 25 powered camp sites and full facilities. And as if that was not enough for the pair to focus their energy on, they also offer canoe and paddleboard hire, cycle hire and Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail tours.
Mrs Fitzgerald grew up in Oamaru, while Mr Fitzgerald moved to the North Otago town from Christchurch and completed his school years at Waitaki Boys' High School. They had met as teenagers and have been a couple ever since. Mr Fitzgerald had always wanted to open a holiday park and the couple had searched for the perfect spot everywhere they travelled to over the years.
The opportunity he was searching for came in the form of the announcement of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
''I remember quite vividly sitting in my lounge, watching the news [as] they announced the Alps 2 Ocean [trail plan].
''I said to Dee-Ann then `this is what I want to do going forward' and that set the wheels in motion for going back to Oamaru,'' Mr Fitzgerald said.
In March 2011, they moved back to Oamaru from Christchurch, where they had been living for five years and established Trail Adventures, offering cycle hire and tour services to cater for users of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
They had always seen the potential of Oamaru Harbour as a tourist destination and had even put a proposal to the Waitaki District Council to establish a tourist park in the harbour area nine years ago. At that time, it was not to be.
''I've always thought it had massive potential and that's why we tried nine years ago to do it. This area was just, in our eyes anyway, completely under utilised,'' he said.
In recent years the area has been rejuvenated with the addition of the Steampunk Playground, new businesses and park benches and storyboards which take visitors on a journey around the harbour area describing its historic treasures.
Their first winter in business in 2013 was tough, but now, they are excited about the potential of the area.
''This is just evolving now and the harbour is being more utilised. Even in the middle of winter people are coming down ... and enjoying the view,'' he said.
''Numbers of tourists are growing and more are venturing beyond the Victorian Precinct to explore the harbour area.''
To cater for increased demand, indoor seating has been added for the colder days and the couple already have plans for development.
Being tucked away at the end of the Esplanade has its perks.
''Once people know we're here, it's actually really good; actually being able to be found and be known is the biggest thing,'' he said.
Scott and Dee-Ann Fitzgerald have hired four part-time staff and hope to employ someone full-time in the near future.
Looking ahead, they hope to increase their presence on the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail and adapt their services, in the cafe and at the tourist park, to provide more for cyclists and the growing camper van contingent.
