When planning an itinerary for the 300km Christchurch to Oamaru drive, top stops include the Lake House at Ashburton and the Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre in Timaru.
Christchurch to Oamaru: A one day itinerary guide
The drive down the coast of New Zealand’s South Island from Christchurch to Oamaru is far better with a few stops on the way. This guide looks at the best things to do between Christchurch and Oamaru, with rough timings and distances.
Christchurch to Oamaru drive: International Antarctic Centre
09.00, 11km: On the way out of sunny Christchurch, prepare to get substantially chillier at the International Antarctic Centre. It has mock-ups of Antarctic research bases, Hagglund polar explorer vehicles to ride on, huskies to fuss over and an ‘Antarctic Storm’simulator which whips up the sort of icy blizzard Scott, Shackleton and co would have had to face.
Best stops between Christchurch and Oamaru: The Lake House at Ashburton
12.00, 107km: Drive out towards Ashburton for a South Island produce feast by the waterside on Lake Hood. The Lake House serves up Canterbury Plains lamb, Talbot Forest blue cheese, Mountain River venison and Wakanui Valley sirloin beef, with mains around $NZ30.
The Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre
14.30, 200km: There’s time for a brief weave into middling port city Timaru, where the Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre explores the paintings and carvings that can be found in caves and on boulders in the region. It’s more than just a collection of the art, though – it gets interactive telling the stories of the commonly depicted Ngai Tahu southern Maori legends.
Steampunk in Oamaru
17.30, 298km: Finish up in Oamaru, where the Victorian Precinct heavily plays up its 19th century heritage, and an unexpected steampunk subculture can be found. Fantasy meets Dickensian artwork stretches as far as the Friendly Bay playground on Wansbeck Street, where rides are dolled up as penny farthings and battle elephants. Make sure you book your Oamaru hotel in advance.
The best thing to do in Oamaru
20.00, 300km: Save a massive dose of cute for dessert at the Blue Penguin Colony (see penguin experience review here). Just after the sun goes down, dozens of the smallest penguins in the world emerge from the sea, then waddle home towards their nests. Viewing takes places on specially-constructed boardwalk platforms designed to not disturb the tiny, comical birds.
More New Zealand South Island travel ideas
For more New Zealand travel activities and experiences, choose from the massive range of options here.
Other New Zealand South Island travel articles on Planet Whitley look at seasickness on the Stewart Island ferry, kayaking around icebergs on Tasman Lake and why you shouldn’t visit Milford Sound from Queenstown.
