Pam Jones steps back in time as she explores the history-rich Totara region.
It's hard to believe now, but back in the 1870s the meat from sheep farmed throughout the region was largely a waste product, often sent to ruin in a nation that was too small to consume it all.
It was wool that was king, but when the bottom dropped out of the wool market, entrepreneurial souls set to work out how to make money from the meat that was under their noses.
It was at Totara Estate that a hardy endeavour became a history-changing export that paved the way for New Zealand's billion-dollar frozen meat export industry.
Carcasses for New Zealand's first frozen meat shipment were prepared at Totara and then taken by farm dray to the nearby railway station for transport (in ice-cooled wagons) to Dunedin.
There, they were chilled and frozen in the revolutionary Bell Coleman Cold Air System aboard the sailing ship Dunedin.
Dunedin left Port Chalmers on February 15, 1882, with a shipment of 4311 sheep carcasses, 598 lamb carcasses, 26 pork carcasses, 2226 sheep tongues, small quantities of hams, rabbits and turkeys and 246 kegs of butter.
It arrived in London in May and the goods were declared ''by far superior to any other''.
The New Zealand and Australian Land Company, which had bought Totara Estate in 1866, made a profit of £4216, 11 shillings and 11 pence on the export, as well as receiving the 500 bonus the New Zealand Government had promised to the first successful frozen meat shipment to Europe.
For history buffs or those with a rural heart, Totara Estate should now be almost compulsory viewing, proudly telling the story of that ground-breaking export and showcasing perfectly preserved, much-loved buildings.
About 8km south of Oamaru, Totara Estate comprises a spectacular collection of Oamaru stone buildings that were restored after the property was bought by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) in 1980.
Totara Estate was opened to the public in 1982, the centenary of the first frozen meat shipment.
Visitors can independently tour the estate or enjoy the knowledge and banter of guides who form a friendly part of the experience (and sometimes dress in period costume).
A warm-hearted gift shop displays reasonably priced country-style goods and mementoes, and hearty, home-cooked morning and afternoon teas are a delicious feature.
Another few kilometres south of Totara Estate is Clark's Mill, another property in the Heritage New Zealand network.
The 19th-century building is a monument to early engineering that still draws plaudits.
Anyone who does not have an engineering bent will shake their heads and marvel at how it all works, and those who do possess engineering heads will no doubt picture every machination in their mind.
Four storeys of complex chutes and machinery that cleaned, ground and sifted the wheat as it was whisked around the building fill the mill, which also houses a small museum.
A group of dedicated volunteers restored the Clark's Mill machinery several decades ago and members of the same group continue volunteering to guide visitors around the mill, which is the only surviving originally water-powered flour mill with early machinery still operational in New Zealand.
The Clark's Mill-Totara Estate combo makes a great day trip and the area is so close to Oamaru you could continue there for further historic viewing, although we opted to explore the Totara region further instead.
The nearby Ranui Retreat Bed and Breakfast makes a relaxing end to our trip, with hosts Ken and Sheryl Laraman providing intelligent conversation in their art-filled home.
There are only isolated totara trees in the region now, but their garden is filled with other century-old trees and cottage garden-style flowers.
Breakfast is another spectacular display, featuring poached blackboy peaches with lemon and cinnamon, and home-made yoghurt, muesli, bread, preserves and cheese.
Full of good food and heritage, we leave the Totara region feeling all the richer.
- With thanks to Totara Estate, Clark's Mill and Ranui Retreat Bed and Breakfast.
