The town will be bursting at the seams early next year, with between 600 and 800 bowlers and supporters in town for a national bowls tournament.
The Oamaru Club will be hosting the men's national chartered club tournament from January 29 to February 4, utilising all the bowling greens between Palmerston and Waimate for the event.
It has already booked all the commercial accommodation it can - ranging from hotels and motels to backpackers - and is appealing for people to make private homes available for rental as well during the event.
A member of the organising committee, Murray Lamb, said the exact number of bowlers and supporters would not be known until entries closed on September 30.
"The last time we had the tournament in 2003, about 800 people came to town, including bowlers, wives, partners, families and supporters. It's a big event for Oamaru," Mr Lamb said.
There was a demand for different types of accommodation and renting out a house for the tournament gave its owners a chance to enjoy a low-cost holiday away.
People with houses available were being asked to register their interest, and all would be replied to once it was known how many bowlers wanted that sort of accommodation, Mr Lamb said.
The organising committee has been planning the tournament since it was awarded to Oamaru in 2009.
"Things are coming together really well," Mr Lamb said.
