christchurch to dunedin
South Canterbury’s flat plains, flanked by the dramatic peaks of the Southern Alps,
stretch in a colourful patchwork of fields south to Timaru, the urban heart of the
Central South Island. A lively, colourful town with a striking piazza overlooking
Caroline Bay, Timaru has preserved much of its historical heritage in a collection
of Edwardian and bluestone buildings, local museum treasures, and Maori rock art
found in caves nearby. Further south, in Oamaru, a legacy in limestone awaits and
the town’s wonderful Victorian architecture – from banks to basilicas – is a rare
sight to behold. Oamaru is home to a large colony of blue penguins and in Dunedin,
where eco-tourism activities abound, visitors can get more than a glimpse of their
yellow-eyed cousins. We spend three days exploring the route from Christchurch to
Dunedin. We take a historic train ride aboard the world’s only Model T Ford Railcar,
and sample classic slices of kiwiana before Bob begins training for a tramp. We
explore Oamaru by foot; learn all about little blue penguins; and spy on ‘Paul’
as he squats atop a large pearly white egg.
day two: timaru to oamaru
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
I awake to find Bob gone. He returns a little later looking sweaty but decidedly
pleased and announces that he’s been ‘jogging’ at Caroline Bay. “I’m thinking about
hiking the Kepler Track,” he says, much to my amazement, “but I’ve only got a couple
of weeks or so to get fit!”
Privately I have my doubts about the wisdom of a strenuous three to four day tramp,
but who am I to judge? “Great goal,” I say encouragingly, as we pack our bags and
leave for Oamaru. En route we make a detour to Waimate, the strawberry capital of
the south, where large brush wallabies roam in Hunters Hills behind town. We enjoy
coffee and berry muffins at Wildberry Café then, with the delicious aroma of freshly
baked wallaby pies wafting on the breeze, pop into Enkledoovery Korna where Bob
cuddles a tame wallaby and poses for a photo. “Aren’t wallabies Australian natives?”
he asks, as we drive away. I explain how they - along with the pesky possum - were
unwittingly introduced to NZ.
A short time later we arrive in Oamaru, which has the largest collection of protected
heritage buildings in NZ. Crafted from a creamy-textured local limestone known as
Oamaru Stone, these gorgeous Victorian buildings with their huge columns and extensive
ornamentation were designed by the finest architects of their time.
We head straight for the Harbour and Tyne Historical Precinct, reputed to be the
only intact Victorian harbour in NZ, where there’s a curved wooden wharf. We watch
craftsmen sculpt Oamaru stone, then drop in to sample a cheese platter at Whitestone
Cheese before (in the interests of Bob’s fitness regime) setting off on a self-guided
walking tour of the town.
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Christchurch to Dunedin scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals new
zealand... the kiwi way
to read more extracts from our driving holiday's guidebook please click on any of
the following links:
north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives
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