20 | Autumn getaways in Waitaki from page 18 A weekend in the Waitaki gives plenty of scope ‘to savour the flavours’. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Tourism Waitaki “We see a lot of people aged 40-plus and they love cruising back into town and then having a pick of good restaurants to choose from for dinner,” he says. “If they’re not sure where to eat, we can ask a few questions and point them in the right direction.” Oamaru’s Cucina restaurant recently won a coveted chef’s ‘hat’ in New Zealand’s premier restaurant awards, the Cuisine Good Food Awards. Other cuisine stars in the district are Riverstone Kitchen, 15 minutes north of Oamaru, and Restaurant 1861 at Casa Nova House with tapas-style cuisine adding another option for food lovers. A weekend in the Waitaki gives plenty of scope ‘to savour the flavours’ from artisan cheese (Whitestone Cheese Co.) and local produce (Oamaru Farmers Market) to fresh salmon (High Country Salmon). Or visitors can sample local wines (River-T Wines Cellar DoorQ Wine) and craft beer (Craftwork Brewery and Tasting Room). Oamaru’s Harbourside walkway, starting at the railway station, is a nice route for exploring Waitaki’s largest town. Take some time to check out the curiosities at Steampunk HQ and the town’s beautiful Victorian Precinct. Families will find no shortage of attractions to keep the kids entertained in the Waitaki. Oamaru’s famed Blue Penguin Colony is open seven days for evening viewings. The penguins waddle ashore at dusk each evening, and during the March-April moult adult and juvenile birds return to nest boxes for several weeks whilst old feathers fall out and new ones grow. Waitaki is a place of geological wonders. Koekohe Beach is home to those not-to-bemissed spherical concretions, the Moeraki Boulders. Fossil sites and ancient landforms on Waitaki’s Vanished World Trail reveal more of the area’s rich natural history. The Vanished World Centre in Duntroon has trail maps and info, along with fossil and rock displays. If your focus is on chasing that seasonal colour, fabulous spots for golden moments include Sailors Cutting, the Benmore Dam area, the tracks and trails of the Ōtematata Wetlands, and Pumpkin Point. presenceonharbour@gmail.com www.presenceonharbour.co.nz MERINO POSSUM KNITWARE, NZ ART & QUALITY KIWIANA GIFTS PRESENCE ON HARBOUR 1 Harbour Street, Oamaru Open 7 Days • 027 349 0865 Balanced and beautiful terroir driven wines grown in a single vineyard in New Zealand’s picturesque Waitaki Valley. 021 349 400 jules@qwine.co.nz www.qwine.co.nz +64 3 434 7788 47 Tyne Street, Oamaru stay@marinersuites.nz READERS EXCLUSIVE $185 per room Promo code: PENGUIN Exclusively at www.marinersuites.nz Code valid for bookings in May, June & July 2022. Code valid until 30 April 2022. Photos: Tourism Waitaki
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=