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Top Attractions in Oamaru

St Patrick's Basilica

The St Patrick's Basilica or Oamaru Basilica, as it is popularly known because of its style of architecture, is a Catholic church in Oamaru, New Zealand. It was designed by the prominent New Zealand architect Francis Petre and is one of his most celebrated works. It is one of the most important historic buildings of Oamaru and of the North Otago region. The Basilica's classical portico and three domes are an admired feature of the Oamaru townscape and the building is particularly noted for the high quality of the stone carving and fine plasterwork of its architectural features. The Basilica "must surely have one of the most noble church interiors in the country. Built entirely of Oamaru stone the exterior has weathered more than one would have expected, but inside the church glows with reflected light from the creamy stone which is virtually in its original state." "The interior is bathed in abundant natural light, and with clear glass rather than stained in the high nave windows, the quality of light is enhanced."

Centennial Park

Centennial Park is a sports facility which is located on Taward Street in Oamaru. The main sports that are played at Centennial Park are rugby union, cricket and hockey. It is the home ground for the Heartland Championship team North Otago. It has hosted NPC finals and semi-finals, mostly in the last five years. One of the more notable finals held at Centeninial park was in 2002, when North Otago finished their successful season by winning 43-19. The last final held at Centennial Park was the 2007 Heartland Championship Meads Cup against Wanganui, with North Otago winning. Centennial Park is also one of the home grounds for Super Rugby franchise Highlanders, although most of the matches are only pre-season matches. The other major sport played at Centennial Park is cricket. It is one of the home venues of the Otago Volts. Centennial Park also hosts international hockey matches, and is a venue for the Black Sticks. In 2007 the main ground was renamed Whitestone Contracting Stadium, after the rights were handed to Whitestone Contracting Limited. In October 2014 24 extra seats were installed in preparation for the Heartland Championship, Lochore cup final.

Steampunk HQ

Steampunk HQ is an art collaboration and gallery in the historic Victorian precinct of Oamaru, New Zealand. Opened in November 2011, it celebrates its own industrial take on Steampunk via an array of contraptions and sculptures, complemented by audio-visual installations in two darkened rooms and part of the buildings basement. A yard also contains a collection of other industrial parts and projects in various stages of completion. Steampunk HQ is located in the former Meeks Grain Elevator Building, a historic building registered with by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category II structure. Outside of the imposing free-standing stone building, a coin-operated "steampunk" engine greets visitors, complete with lights, engine and train while noises, and fire breathing out of its chimney. The building's exterior walls are decorated with creations such as giant flies made from metal and industrial parts. Inside, the gallery presents a theme of a dark post-apocalyptic vision of a future "as it might have been". Contraptions and bizarre machinery featuring heavy use of copper, gears, pipes, gas cylinders, as well as an ensemble of skeletal sculptures are lit by flickering lights and accompanied by projectors and background sounds. The two large darkened rooms and part of the basement of the building house a variety of old industrial and medical machines remade into "aetheric" devices. The exhibits include some large machines, such as a steam tractor, periodically emitting steam, and a boat with a grim reaper. A back door from the gallery leads to a large yard contains further large machines in various stages of being "steampunked", for example a train carriage being converted to a fortified steam engine and an "Aethertractor", as well as a variety of junk waiting to become ingredients in yet more contraptions. In 2012, Steampunk HQ was rated as one of New Zealand's best new tourist attractions and is open seven days per week in the summer months, and from Thursday to Sunday during the rest of the year. An annual Steampunk NZ Festival has been held since 2013 in Oamaru around May/June, with a steampunk fashion show and literary readings. The Libratory art gallery next door in The Woolstore displays and sells steampunk artwork and sculptures.

Waitaki District Council building

The Waitaki District Council building, the former Oamaru Chief Post Office, is the seat of the Waitaki District in Oamaru, New Zealand. Oamaru's first post office was built in 1864 to a design by William Mason and William Clayton. The town was prosperous and soon, the building was too small. The government advanced NZ£4,000 and tenders were called in February 1883 for a new building next to the first post office. The North Otago Times described the design plans with the following words: It is designed in the Italian order of architecture, in a massive and handsome style; there being no redundancy of intricate ornamental workmanship about the facings. ... The base of the building will be of blue stone; the rest, of course, of Oamaru stone. The exterior of the building as it appears on the plans will be decidedly handsome; having a height to the top of the parapet of 45 feet, and from the above description it will be seen that the accommodation provided for the public will be a decided improvement upon the existing state of things. The building was opened in 1884, but much to the population's disappointment, the clock tower was not erected initially. As it was large and richly ornamented, it soon was a favourite motive for post cards, calendars, and crockery. Ten years later, the tower was added, but the Post and Telegraph Department insisted that the clock and chimes be funded by the Oamaru Borough. John McLean, a rich runholder and businessman who had lived in Oamaru for the last few decades of his life and who died in 1902, left money in his will for the clock. As McLean had never married, it was up to his nephew, John Buckley, a son of George Buckley, to unveil the additions on 17 September 1903. In the mid-1940s, many post offices had their heavy clocks removed, as they posed an earthquake risk. Whilst lobbying against this measure was often unsuccessful, the clock in the Oamaru post office was allowed to remain. The building was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now called Heritage New Zealand) on 28 June 1990 with registration number 2294. The building has a category I listing. The post office moved out in 1994, and the Waitaki District Council has used the premises since.

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