New Zealand: Oamaru

From Christchurch we continued south down the coast to Oamaru, a rather sedate substitution for our Mount Cook adventure (cancelled due to inclement weather), though we still had rain and wind. Oamaru is a rather curious place. Purely by appearances, one would easily judge Oamaru to have been the most prosperous town in all of New Zealand by the many finely carved neoclassical "White Stone" buildings.

The buildings came about because of the nearby stone quarry where the white limestone is particularly easy to work with. Wheat, gold, and port gave rise to all those buildings in the mid 1800s. In more recent years, those Victorian era buildings became the backdrop of the "Steampunk Capital." On top of that, a colony of penguins also make Oamaru their home, and are walled off behind a paywall.

Steampunk HQ building. And a poster for STEAMPUNK NZ FESTIVAL - Frontiers of Steam - 28 May to 1 June 2026




Hiding from the wind near the penguin colony.


Oamaru has the typical NZ small town CBD arcaded Main Street


And here's a view of the town and harbour from the Skyline Walkway.


The Historic Precinct, aka The Whitestone City, is full of magnificent Victorian-era Neo-Classical buildings constructed with local white limestone. First below is the Opera House.




Former Bank of Otago (1871, Left), Former Bank of New South Wales (1883, Right)



Former Oamaru Chief Post Office


Tasty lunch at Noodle Canteen.


The wind was blowing a gale as we ascended South Hill.




Our second morning we tackled the grassy Skyline Trail, walking by sheep and a small observatory, and then connected to the Alps 2 Ocean (A2O) Cycle Trail at the Public Gardens before catching the bus south to Dunedin.
























Buying Some Black Friday Specials at the Woolworths Self Checkout.

New Zealand: Christchurch

After the wedding, we figured we could still bag another country before the airfares go up mid December. Since we really liked our New Zealand trip this March/April, and all our entry fees are still valid, we thought we'd give New Zealand another look.

Our cheap airfare from Shanghai to Christchurch entailed long airport layovers, during which we realized the weather was not cooperating with travel plans, and proceeded to revamp our route. Our new program started with touring Christchurch.



Though Christchurch may be the largest city on the south island, the center is rather compact. The city is still emerging from two earthquakes in 2011 and 2010. Not knowing what the city was like before, as a distinct departure from other New Zealand cities, Christchurch has a lot of new residential housing throughout and right around the CBD (Central Business District), making the city more livable and vibrant.

Stay tuned for several more Christchurch reports. We'll return here after spending time in Dunedin and the West Coast.

Our hotel in Christchurch was near the Bridge of Remembrance and the Botanic Gardens.


Christchurch Botanic Gardens and luscious Rose Gardens.








Punting On The Avon River which winds through the city center.






Ducks, Flowers, and Veggies at the Botanic Gardens.






Jackfruit Curry Vegan Meal at Indo Tempeh Restaurant. The owner was super friendly.




The so-called Cardboard Cathedral is a symbol of the rebirth of the city after the earthquake. Designed to be the "Transitional Cathedral", now an icon, it gets its name from 90 cardboard tubes that form the A-frame walls and roof. Whoops, I accidentally took a photo inside the church - no photos during choir practice said a very small sign - and the priest hurried over to admonish me. (2nd below).




The new "One New Zealand Stadium" is almost completed. Due to open in April 2026.


This building on the former University of Canterbury site was damaged in the earthquake and is undergoing repairs; its exterior walls are temporarily shored up with huge stone buttresses while permanent strengthening is completed.


Many of the newer buildings in city center are very modern e.g. the Deloitte Building, Convention Centre, and Central Library.






The Spanish Mission Style New Regent Street Pedestrian Mall was built in the 1930's.


The Christchurch Cathedral (L), being rebuilt after significant earthquake damage, and Cathedral Square.


Tourist trams are running.






New Housing Units and Friendly Streets.




The Nio-A and Nio-Un Mural. Just one of many murals around town.


The Ōtautahi Trompe-l'œil Mural


The Church Pub - Formerly the Trinity Congregational Church ( 1875)