One of the most magical things about visiting Oamaru is the sense of stepping back in time. Not just to the Victorian era but also millions of years. Oamaru is home to possibly the best examples of neoclassical architecture in New Zealand and Waitaki Whitestone Geopark – an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark – is on its doorstep.
The Waitaki district boasts a range of interesting geosites, including Elephant Rocks, Moeraki Boulders and Clay Cliffs, just to name a few.
If visiting Elephant Rocks feels strangely familiar, the reason could be that it was used as a location for film (2005). And being here really does feel like you’ve stepped through a wardrobe into another world as you wander through these towering “elephants” (stones) formed from Otekaike limestone which long ago were under the ocean.
