Interclub Volume 27 Issue 2 2021

14 INTERCLUB • VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 - 2021 Sampling the delights of Oamaru c l u b l i f e : T R A V E L O A M A R U Oamaru has a fascinating history for people to explore. Dreaming of a hassle-free holiday! DESTINATION MARLBOROUGH 30 Jan 22 - 5 nights $2650 pp (twin-share)* EXPLORING THE SOUTH 13Mar or 10 Apr 22 21 days $4365pp (twin-share)* To enquire today about joining us for a memorable journey. 0800 33 99 33 uniqueholidaytours.co.nz * Single supplement available THE HIDDEN NORTH 8May 22 - 21 days $4365pp (twin-share)* All Covid-19 travel precautions are followed to keep you safe. The best value on themarket with over 30 years experience! Tour Groups by arrangement. Contact: vanishedworldcentre@gmail.com Open daily for viewing, Working forge on summer weekends www.blacksmith.net.nz Open daily 10.00am - 4.00pm PH: 03 431 2024 www.vanishedworld.co.nz Visit Vanished World Fossil Centre Nicol’s Blacksmith Shop EXPERIENCE DUNTROON AND THE WAITAKI VALLEY M onday: 37 members of the Papanui Club travel section left by bus at 9am with Norm being our driver heading for Oamaru for 5 days - weather overcast and cool - we were surprised to find ourselves riding on the new Southern Motorway to Rolleston - “great feat of engineering”!!! We stopped at Timaru Railway Station for our “protracted” lunchtime stop - on our way again heading for “Dot’s Riverstone Castle situated at southern side of Waitaki River bridge. It's a great spectacle as you drive into retail complex. Riverstone Oamaru stone castle is situated in middle of an irrigation lake with large fountain on one side - Pecan and Magpie Ducks swum around it as we walked up to Main Entrance -for those members unable to walk to castle Dot drove her old farm Ute with one man hitching a ride on the tailgate. “Wow what a marvellous feast for our eyes”. It star ted with the “gold hinges” on the main doors leading into the large Hall, the floor pattern here was interspersed with fine lines of black/gold marble. We were free to wander all over the castle. Upstairs are four 5-Star ensuite suites - of four different colour schemes - many furnishings and cur tains being sourced from overseas. The main bedroom downstairs comprised a sitting room/ bathroom/dressing room and large bedroom - furnishings were exquisite - kitchen and family rooms including conservatory were overflowing with dishes etc. When Dot was asked what period the many ar ticles of armoury and “old” things came from - she said “it’s just junk” A lot of things she bought from China! The way out was through The Secret Passage to the Dungeon and outside by the Bookcase Opening - this was indeed “Dots Dream Castle”. Next stop NW and Lolly Shop in Oamaru for supplies - (Lolly Shop kindly donated to our Tour Bus 2 x bags of chocolate Easter Eggs - very kind of them). Next we arrived at Heritage Cour t Motel on Main Road - where we were given our keys for the next four nights. Everyone happy with their accommodation and we were happy to unwind and relax till we went out to dinner. Our dinner was at Last Post Restaurant building where in 1864 Oamaru Post & Telegraph Depar tment opened in Oamaru - 1869 Nor th Section to house the Customs Dept - we all enjoyed our meals of pork roast/blue cod/chicken dish with chocolate brownie to end with for those who wished. Tuesday: Cool SW but sunny morning. First visit to Oamaru Steam n Rail - we boarded vintage 1905 & 1923 carriages and Open carriage behind the engine at Harbourside Station - over old foot bridge to Quarry Siding where the old wharf was home to 100’s of Shags and their young were roosting - we returned to train workshop where dedicated Volunteers work hard to maintain and restore railway equipment and rolling stock . Norm drove us up to Hilltop Lookout to view all of Oamaru and district. After lunch we headed for Parkside Quarries in Weston - founded in 1868 - bought originally for “land use” but third generation discovered the Oamaru Stone and first used it crushed for farm tracks. The Oamaru Opera House built 1906 using this stone. Our Bus descended into this huge quarry of Oamaru Stone where 2-tonne blocks are cut with a massive stone cutter (the saw had been used since 2003 and hasn’t needed to be sharpened since!). Parkside Quarries supplies blocks for building/ agricultural lime/landscaping and ornamental stone - a very interesting tour! On way back to Motel we stopped to view The Janet Frame house from 1931-1943 - what an interesting but hear t-rending life she had - the home and furnishings were par t of that 1930s era as well. For dinner we went to Oamaru Club for a very nice meal, then to Blue Penguin viewing at 7.30pm - very cool night as we waited for the penguins to arrive in a “raft” (a large group - 30-40 - together for safety from predators) very cute little birds as they chatted and chirped into the night. Wednesday: We woke to a bright sunny day - as it was St Patrick’s Day we dressed to celebrate the occasion - our first stop was to Totara Estate where we were first seated on hay bales and enjoyed billy tea/fresh scones with jam'n'cream around the campfire. Then we visited the original Men’s Quar ters, the Stables/Granary, barn/ slaughter house/carcass shed/pig yards. While wool was the first expor t to be expor ted to Britain, Totara Estate was the bir thplace of New Zealand's first shipment of frozen lamb meat in 1882. They slaughtered up to 240 sheep initially a day. The meat went by rail from Totara railway siding to Por t Chalmers in Dunedin and loaded onto the ship “Dunedin” bound for London. We saw some vintage breeds of sheep in paddock near Main building. 10kms to Clark’s Mill (Maheno) - this was built in 1866 by the owners of Totara Estate where they grew wheat/potatoes/turnips on some of the best land in NZ. All the metal par ts/ mill stones came from Europe. Fflour was essential to life of the Colony and flour milling was a most profitable industry at this time. In 1901 the Clark’s bought the Mill - there were four sons and they made flour until 1977. The mill was originally operated by wooden water wheel driving mill stones- in 1883 they installed American made water turbine - when Clark’s took over it produced 400lbs of flour p/hr and they increased it to 1200lbs p/hr. Their brand of Snowwreath Flour was the whitest and most popular for baking cakes and bread. 1.35pm we reached Moeraki Boulders Beach and Restaurant - we all enjoyed a very nice lunch - the seafood was a popular choice for many - some members braved the strong SW wind to view the boulders on the beach. Returning to the motel most of us nibbled and drank while we watched Team NZ win the America's Cup again - very exciting. Thursday - sunny day - first stop Whitestone Cheese Shop to buy stock for their pantries. The Municipal Gardens were next - lovely laid out rose beds - the glasshouse had numerous interesting tropical and rainforest plants - many in delightful colours - nice and peaceful surroundings with the Bellbirds chiming in the gum trees - then we headed for Victorian Precinct - we all went in different directions- basically the morning and afternoon was free for us to enjoy - Harbour Street was vintage and unique category of shops - an old flour mill - steampunk paraphernalia- Oamaru stone sculptor - transpor t of yesteryear eg gigs and open vehicles drawn by horses - jewellery- Livery Stable n Forge and Old Brewery - some of us took the time to catch up with friends and family from Dunedin and Oamaru. At 5pm we drove to Oamaru Club for a buffet meal organised for our Group - very nice food with roast meal of pork and veggies- desser t was apple and berry crumble - it was enjoyable to watch I think the local Rock n Roll Club dancing on the dance floor - good music. Friday: We left Oamaru early 9am - weather cool par tly cloudy - heading up SH83 heading for our stop at Duntroon 43 kms inland. Our first stop was Nicol’s Blacksmith Shop - has been operating as a smithy from 1880 - it has