Oamaru Tours

New Zealand Oamaru Tours - What to See & Do. If you are looking for comprehensive travel information for Oamaru Tours including Eco-Tours and Wildlife Tours, you will find it here on AA Travel.

A great way to see Oamaru and the surrounding region is to take a tour. The range of tours available around the country is as varied as the country itself, and you’re bound to be led by a friendly and knowledgeable guide and learn things that you wouldn’t normally find out. Around the country, wildlife enthusiasts can take tours to see our array of accessible wildlife, from marine life to birds and even glowworms. There are historical tours to explore this country’s fascinating history, cultural tours to get up close to the Maori culture, art and craft tours for the creative, and food and wine tours to sample the country’s gourmet delights. Cycling, kayaking and walking tours show off the country’s amazing scenery while providing a bit of exercise, whereas boat cruises show off our coastlines and lakes, and there are plenty of sightseeing tours that take in a bit of everything!

Oamaru: Oamaru is the district’s main centre and is renowned for its attractive townscape and gardens, intact Victorian precinct and harbour, neoclassical stone buildings, and the most accessible daily contact with penguins anywhere in the country. Oamaru has the largest collection of protected heritage buildings in New Zealand. They were designed by the finest architects of their time and crafted from the local limestone now known worldwide as Oamaru Stone. The harbour, reputed to be the only intact Victorian harbour in New Zealand, is home not only to an old curved wooden wharf and an assortment of traditional craftspeople, but hundreds of blue penguins that waddle ashore every night just after dark. The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, a natural nesting area for the world’s smallest penguin species, has been enhanced by a dedicated team of volunteers and is now an international drawcard. Grandstand seating enables visitors to get a close look at these engaging birds every night of the year. A 30-minute walk away is another penguin colony at Bushy Beach. This is the northern-most place where the rare yellow-eyed penguin is known to nest and breed successfully. Visitors can watch them come ashore each evening.