Ōamaru Public Gardens Discovery Trail Preview

The Ōamaru Public Gardens were established in 1876, making it one of the oldest public gardens in New Zealand.

Before this, the land was mostly swampy. One of the first things the head gardener undertook was the daunting task of straightening the winding Ōamaru Creek and creating the ponds and lakelets we see today. This work changed the landscape forever!

Can you imagine how this piece of land would have looked before?

Many of tree specimens here have been planted to commemorate historical events within Ōamaru and New Zealand's past. Check out the small plaques attached to individual trees to discover some of our history!

Discovery quest: Find the tree planted by his worship the mayor Mr Rex D. Allen to mark the 100 year celebrations of the Ōamaru Public Gardens. How old are the Gardens now?

A Geopark geosite. Exposed here are limestone dikes that crosscut volcanic ash that was erupted from a local volcano! Volcanoes were active in North Otago from around 38 to 32 million years ago when much of the area was under the sea. Learn more about the limestone dikes here.

Discovery quest: Can you spot the two limestone dikes?

Did you know that this is New Zealand's first Chinese garden? It's a tribute to the early Chinese community in the Waitaki District. During the official opening of the first stage in 1995 Mr Huang Guifang, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, planted a Chinese tree, Paulownia tomentosa. Native to east Asia, and known to the Chinese as the elephant tree, it still stands today!

Discovery quest: Can you find these elements in the Chinese garden?

• ​Zig-zag bridge
• Dragon
• Sun dial
• Pandas

This statue was unveiled in 1927. It features figurines of a boy and girl entranced by the fairy world they can see below them. The statue sits atop a base made of the igneous rock basalt. Volcanoes were active in North Otago from around 38 to 32 million years ago when much of the area was under the sea.

Discovery quest: How many fairies can you count?

Identify the different types of trees in this area and tick below the ones native to New Zealand (individual trees are labelled):

• ​Tawhai rauriki / Mountain Beech
• Lacebark - Historically, people made the bark into ribbons, trimming, braiding and embroidery on everything from hats, bonnets, dresses, baskets, bands, kilts, capes and poi
• Tawhai raunui / Red Beech
• Antarctic Beech - A survivor of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana
• Common Lime

Sediments eroded from Gondwana have been changed under heat and pressure to form a metamorphic rock called schist.

Wood becomes petrified through a special fossilisation process where minerals replace the organic matter and the wood in turned to stone!

Discovery quest: Can you still see the wood grain?

The sedimentary unit of Ototara Limestone (Ōamaru Stone) was formed from the accumulation of marine organisms on the seafloor. Many buildings in the region are made from limestone and it is often carved into beautiful sculptures.

Discovery quest: Can you find another structure in the gardens that is made from limestone?

James Craig, who lived in Ōamaru between 1878 and 1912, loved the Ōamaru Public Gardens so much that he put aside £500 in his will to erect a fountain in the gardens. The Council (who covered the balance of the cost of the fountain) along with another group of people made Craig's wish come true and the fountain was opened in 1914. The fountain is a centrepiece in the Ōamaru Public Gardens today and is illuminated at night with multicoloured lights.

Discovery quest: Walk around the fountain and count how many steps it takes to complete a circuit.

Well done. That's the end of the Discovery Trail through the Ōamaru Public Gardens. We hope you learnt something new about some of the features in our beautiful Gardens.

Are you interested in another walking tour through Ōamaru? Try our Victorian Precinct Walking Tour and step back in time to 1884! Take a stroll with Alexander McMaster, owner of Tokarahi Estate in 1884, and learn more about Ōamaru's Victorian history. You can also book a 90-minutes easy-paced guided walk around the Historic Precinct. Due to Covid-19, the Ōamaru Heritage Walking Tours are on-demand and bookings need to be made by contacting Helen Stead: 027 434 1173 or helenstead18@gmail.com. The Victorian Precinct is only a 10 minute walk from the Public Gardens.

If you'd like to learn more about what's in the Waitaki, go to Tourism Waitaki's website.

Otherwise, enjoy the Ōamaru Public Gardens - Great in every season.

For camping information, check the Freedom camping in Waitaki page.