Introduction
The Waitaki Whitestone Geopark coast is packed with charming towns, unique wildlife, amazing geology and stunning, isolated beaches. State Highway 1 winds its way down the coast with many opportunities to stop and enjoy the sights.For camping information, check the Freedom camping in Waitaki page.What is Tiaki – Care for New Zealand?Tiaki means to care for people and place. New Zealand is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it.The Tiaki Promise is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now and for future generations. By following the Tiaki Promise, you are making a commitment to New Zealand: Care for land, sea and nature, treading lightly and leaving no trace Travel safely, showing care and consideration for all Respect culture, travelling with an open heart and mindFor more information about the Tiaki Promise, visit the Tiaki official website.
Ōamaru Limestone Dikes
Suggested visit time: 5 minsStand at the north side of Chelmer Street, at the intersection with Chess St and opposite the Ōamaru Public GardensOn this Ōamaru roadside you can see one of New Zealand's best examples of limestone dikes. This well weathered outcrop consists of tuff (formed from volcanic ash) - associated with volcanism that was active from around 38 million years in the Ōamaru area. This outcrop shows some weakly bedding planes in places, but in the main is massive. Of significance are two jointed limestone dikes of the Ototara Limestone (Ōamaru Stone) that run near vertically through the tuff. Typically, dikes are igneous in origin and intrude existing rock. The dikes exposed here at Chelmer Street are in fact the reverse of this - where a sedimentary unit is seen to intrude igneous material.Please be aware the following hazards include: Falling debris (rock and plants) from overhead and traffic.
Totara Estate
Suggested visit time: 0.5 - 1 hourTotara Estate is about 8 kilometres south of Ōamaru on State Highway 1. Look for the road signs.New Zealand is a country founded on agriculture, and Totara Estate is a crucial part of that history. This historic farm (originally 15,000 acres) was the birthplace of New Zealand's billion dollar frozen meat industry. From Totara, using steam-powered refrigeration technology in 1882, meat was frozen and sent on a three month journey to the other side of the world. The international frozen meat and dairy trade was the basis of New Zealand’s economy throughout the 20th century.Totara Estate now operates as a museum and you can take a tour of this heritage site and hear about the big idea that launched New Zealand farming onto the world stage and changed its fortunes forever.Explore the variety of restored farm buildings constructed of local limestone, including stables, a cook house, tack rooms, bunk house, and slaughter shed where the scene is set for the rigorous work on this estate.Meet and feed the heritage-breed sheep. They have heaps of personality, and enjoy a back scratch. Demonstrations of heritage agricultural crafts and skills such as blacksmithing, blade shearing, wood turning, butter-making, spinning, & stone cutting may be arranged with prior notice.Afterwards relax and enjoy one of their farmhouse teas including scones, jam and cream - you are welcome to bring your own light refreshments to enjoy in our picnic area.Opening Hours:Summer: (September - May) Thursday to Sunday inclusive: 10.00am - 4.00pmWinter: (June - August) Closed except by prior arrangement.Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday.Admission:Adult: $10Student (tertiary): $5Children (school age): freeFacilities:Wheelchair Access: some buildings are accessible to wheelchairs, doorways may be narrow for motorised chairs. There are gravel paths between buildings.Refreshments: farmhouse teas including scones, jam and cream are available for purchase, and you are welcome to bring your own light refreshments to enjoy in our picnic area.Toilets: public facilities are available on-site for visitors.
Clarks Mill
Suggested visit time: 30 mins -1 hour on an open day (Typically this is a Sunday afternoon)State Highway 1 between Reidston and Maheno (watch for sign)Clarks Mill is New Zealand's only surviving water-powered flour mill with early machinery still substantially intact. It was built as part of Totara Estate in 1866.The centrepiece of this important industrial landmark is the magnificent four-storey mill building constructed of local limestone. The building contains a rare collection of roller milling machinery installed in 1893. The machinery has been lovingly restored to operating condition by a team of dedicated volunteers who get the machinery grinding into action on a regular basis.Other highlights include the original water race, the railway line built in 1877, a remaining millers' cottage known as Smokey Joe's (once a speakeasy during the dry years of prohibition) and interesting displays inside the mill itself.Check out operating times to ensure you enjoy the whole experience and see, hear and feel what work in the mill was like when the machinery rolls into action.Opening Hours:October – December:SUNDAYS, 1pm - 3pm. Machinery operates last Sunday of the month at 2pm.January – March:THURSDAYS: 10am - 1pm. Machinery operates at 11am.SUNDAYS, 1pm - 3pm. Last Sunday of the month: 12 - 4pm. Machinery operates at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm.April:SUNDAYS, 1pm - 3pm. Machinery operates last Sunday of the month at 2pm.Closed: May-September; Christmas Day and Good Friday.Admission:Adults: $10;Children: Free;Tertiary students: $5;Machinery operating times: Adults: $15;Please understand that surcharges may apply at times of special events.
Campbells Bay
Suggested visit time: 30 mins to 1 hourTo get to Campbells Bay, follow Waianakarua Rd and after the Kakanui Camping Ground, turn left into Harbour Terrance. Follow this Rd for 1.8km and you will reach the parking area to your left.Kakanui is a beachside village and the surrounding area is well-known for its rich and fertile soils with many market gardens in the local area. You'll find a good selection of seasonal produce available for purchase on roadside stalls. We like to think Kakanui potatoes and tomatoes are among the best in the world! These rich soils also form many of the country's top cricket pitches due to their physical properties.Campbells Bay is immediately south of the headland in Kakanui and provides a surf-able break and a safe swimming beach. The beach is around 2km long and the Southern end is known as All Day Bay and provides a more sheltered spot for swimming.Hector's dolphins will often be seen playing in the waves and can be spotted right along the Kakanui coastline. There are occasional leopard seal sightings as well. They are large and pale-coloured and can be fairly aggressive. So if you see one, keep your distance!An impressive geological sequence is visible at Campbells Bay. Here you can see the Ototara Limestone dipping impressively down beach. The outcrop is heavily cemented. The interesting holes in the limestone are actually shrimp burrows that were further eroded and enlarged around 30 million years ago. Walking further up-beach you can see older underlying material including volcanic tuff.Public toilets available.Please be aware the following hazards include: tides, wildlife, sharp and slippery rock underfoot, and falling debris from cliffs. Tsunami risk – if an earthquake is strong or long, get gone.
All Day Bay
Suggested visit time: 15 minsTo get to All Day Bay, take Waiankarua Rd out of Kakanui and after crossing the bridge, follow the Rd for 4km. There is parking available.The sweeping bay and geology of All Day Bay make it a favourite attraction for families and visitors alike.The dark grey deep-water marine deposit called the Mt Harris formation (20 million years old) can be seen outcropping at the lagoon near the carpark for this bay. This marks the beginning of the marine regression where the sea level began to recede.Towards the southern end of this bay broad sweeping impressive layered sediments containing volcanics outcrop.During the 1879 Smith-Nairn Commission Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Ngāi Tahu land claims, Ōrore Point was recorded as a kāinga mahinga kai (food-gathering place) where tuna (eels) and inaka (whitebait) were gathered.Please be aware the following hazards include: tides, wildlife, sharp and slippery rock underfoot, and falling debris from cliffs. Tsunami risk – if an earthquake is strong or long, get gone.
Bridge Point
Suggested visit time: 10 - 20 minsLeave Kakanui south and follow Waianakarua Rd for just over 3km. Bridge Point will be to your left - There is a small parking bay on the site of the road. Update 12 July 2023: Due to recent erosion, the carpark and beach access to the site has been compromised. A relic of an underwater volcano from about 32 - 36 million years ago. During the Eocene, more of Zealandia was below sea level than at the present day. During this time, submarine volcanoes were active along the present day coastal section of the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark.At Bridge Point a nearby, likely short-lived volcano erupted around 32 – 36 million years ago. The volcano was subsequently eroded, creating an environment for marine life and accumulation of marine sediments.Bridge point lies just south of Kakanui’s All Day Bay. It is a great spot for photos with its volcanic rock formation that resembles a bridge. It looks especially good at low tide. Check out the tide times on the MetService website.Please be aware the following hazards include: narrow, tides, wildlife, sharp and slippery rock underfoot, and falling debris from cliffs. Tsunami risk – if an earthquake is strong or long, get gone.
Te Kaīhinaki / Moeraki Boulders
Suggested visit time: 30 mins to 1 hourMoeraki Boulders are signposted on State Highway 1, three kilometres south of Hampden.Walk amongst geological marvels, exposed by erosion of sedimentary rocks laid down around 60 million years ago.Local Māori legends explain these unusually large and spherical boulders as the remains of eel baskets, calabashes, and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of Ārai-te-uru, a large sailing canoe. The rocky shoals that extend seaward from Shag Point are the petrified hull of this wreck and a nearby rocky promontory is the body of the canoe's captain.The Moeraki Boulders are a famous attractive destination for a reason. These striking round rocks can reach up to 3 metres in diameter and weigh several tones whilst the smaller boulders can resemble an over inflated football. These boulders have formed backdrops to photographs for over a century. Beyond the immediate visual appeal is a fascinating geological story.The boulders at Moeraki and Matakaea Shag Point formed in ancient seafloor muds between 55 and 70 million years ago. Each boulder started life as a pebble or fossil on an ancient seafloor. Over time these 'grew' by mud accretion and calcification. These boulders have been exposed through coastline erosion from coastal cliffs. Even today, there are still boulders remaining in the mudstone that will, sooner or later, fall on to the beach as they come loose due to erosion!The Moeraki Boulders Cafe offers takeaway or sit down meals with beautiful ocean views, and there is a gift shop featuring souvenirs, clothing and jewellery from New Zealand artists and crafts people. Open 7 days a week, 9am – 5pm. Toilets are available.Moeraki Boulders are signposted on State Highway 1, three kilometres south of Hampden.Stroll along the beach from Moeraki Boulders Scenic Reserve carpark and picnic area or take the track directly to the beach from the cafe at the end of a private road. Or take a short loop track (150 metres) from the cafe to view the boulders from above. These tracks are suitable for pushchairs but not wheelchairs, as they start with several steps.The Moeraki Boulders are best to be visited at low tide. Check out the tide times on the Metservice website.Please be aware the following hazards include: tides, wildlife, cliff face erosion (falling debris) and uneven loose / slippery surfaces. Tsunami risk – if an earthquake is strong or long, get gone.
Kātiki
Suggested visit time: 1 hourArrive via Lighthouse Road in Moeraki Village. Kātiki is the southern part of the Katiki Peninsula.See the historic Kātiki Point Lighthouse, which still operates today, and wander up the hill to the Te Raka a Hineatea Pā site. A pā is a terraced Māori hill-fort; a very important settlement site for local Māori. The reserve is vested in Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu who manage the reserve in conjunction with Te Rūnanga o Moeraki. For more information about Māori settlement and management of this area, visit the Ōtākou Runaka website.Kātiki is a breeding ground for marine wildlife including fur seals and the critically endangered yellow-eyed penguin. A variety of sea and shore birds breed here: little blue penguin/kororā, yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho, sooty shearwater/tītī, diving petrel, red-billed gull/tarapuka, spotted shag/koau pāteketeke, white-fronted tern/tara, and the variable oystercatcher/tōrea pango. When viewing the wildlife, please maintain your distance, do not use flash photography and be respectful at all times.The reserve is closed overnight.
Trotters Gorge
Suggested visit time 1h - 2hTurn off SH1 onto Horse Range Road around 2.4km south of Te Kaihīnaki / Moeraki Boulders. After 4.2 km turn onto Trotters Gorge Road and follow this for a short distance to the end.Grab the hiking boots and enjoy the views at Trotters Gorge! Take one of the 3 tracks at Trotters Gorge and listen to many of New Zealand’s bush birds such as the karearea/NZ falcon. Also, look out for native fish (galaxiids) in the streams. A small uphill path will be rewarded with amazing views from mountains to the sea!This impressive gorge showcases some of the geoparks most ancient terrestrial sediments. These sediments – mainly breccias and conglomerates were deposited during a period when Zealandia was still separating from Gondwana. During this time, faulting within the basement rock created graben-like features. Braided rivers draining what is now modern day inland Otago reworked and eroded exposed basement rock, depositing the resulting sediments in thick masses. These deposits are called the Horse Range Formation. Today these deposits are exposed in huge cliffs in Trotters Gorge.Please be aware following hazards include: the tracks are mostly well formed, but some sections may be steep, rough or muddy, open water (creek)
Matakaea / Shag Point
Suggested visit time: 30 minsShag Point is signposted 9 km north of Palmerston on SH1. Turn at the sign onto Shag Point Road, and follow until you reach the reserve carpark.There are many diverse features at this Geosite from a history of coal mining to the discovery of mudstone fossils and an important plesiosaur fossil.Large spherical boulders (of Ārai-te-uru oral history) can be found embedded in the soft sandstone of the rock shelf along the coastline. The smooth wave-worn mudstones of this promontory also contain well-preserved fossils. A seven-metre marine reptile, a plesiosaur, was found here and is now part of the University of Otago fossil collection.This area was used by the early moa hunters. Nearby, Shag/Waihemo River Mouth yielded important archaeological evidence of Ngāi Tahu lifestyles dating back to the 12th century. Moa skeletons and many artefacts found here are exhibited at the Otago Museum in Dunedin.Whalers discovered the first bituminous coal in New Zealand here in the 1830s. By 1862 the exposed coal seams were found to be commercially viable and were successfully mined until 1972, when flooding eventually closed shafts that extended under the coast. Evidence of coal mining is still obvious throughout the reserve. A small natural boat harbour was once a traditional tauraka waka (canoe landing place). Early miners shipped coal from here in sailing and steam colliers. Today the harbour is used by recreational anglers and divers to launch their boats.IMPORTANT INFORMATIONVisitors are requested to eat and drink only in designated areas, away from burial grounds and other sacred sites. There is no onsite accommodation, and camping is not permitted. Trotters Gorge campsite is nearby, and there are places to stay at Palmerston, Moeraki and Hampden. Please do not disturb the wildlife. Dogs are not permitted in the reserve.Please be aware the following hazards include: tides, wildlife, cliff edge (keep to the track), unmarked shafts (old coal mining area), slippery underfoot. Tsunami risk - If an earthquake is strong or long, get gone.
Palmerston
Suggested visit time: 20 - 40 minsWelcome to Palmerston - the southern gateway to the Geopark. Steeped in history, Palmerston is perfectly nestled as the junction of SH1 and SH85 and is also the gateway to the Otago Goldfields heritage trail and Central Otago.The road up Shag Valley and over the Pigroot to Dunstan made the town an important transport junction and commercial centre for a prosperous farming district. With the opening of the Dunstan goldfields (1862), the first desire of these miners was to get there and secure a site. No thought was taken into consideration with making arrangements for the supply of provisions. Thus merchants would soon appear, as the wagoner's started to carry a variety of supplies and goods to service the men at the diggings. This would in turn create various little hotels and lodgings to be formed along the route. With trade on such a basis as this, flourishing stores were built, and Palmerston began to assume an air of important. Visit the Waihemo Museum to learn more about this town and surrounding area.Fun fact: Many of the first recorded street names around Palmerston (except for Stour and Tiverton) are associated with the Orkney Islands.
Puketapu
Suggested visit time: 1 hourStart your journey up the hill from the old railway station or the lookout carpark, just off State Highway 1, Palmerston.Puketapu means “sacred hill” in Māori and offers stunning 360 degree vistas over Palmerston township, rolling farmland down the Shag Valley and out to sea. It’s easily visible as you arrive because of the standing stone monument on top of the hill.Puketapu is a short and sweet uphill climb. Choose from a couple of routes - clamber up the face or follow the posts which mark an easier route - winding around the back of the hill. Although it can be steep, the track is well formed and you will be rewarded with stunning views at the top!Enjoy a picnic lunch on the benches at the top or climb the stairs and stand atop the monument. The monument is a memorial to Sir John McKenzie, a local agricultural figure from the 19th century.Every year in October, locals run a race called “Kelly’s Canter” where they run up Puketapu and down again, with record times sitting at around 20 minutes to get up and back. The race is in remembrance of local constable Bert Kelly, who during World War II, ran up Puketapu every day to watch for enemy ships. Try and beat his incredible time of 20 minutes, or take a good hour to enjoy it at a leisurely pace.The track is open all year except during lambing season (springtime: September - November).
Macraes Goldmine
Suggested visit time: 1 hourMacraes RdView the heavy machinery at work, dwarfed within the large open-cast pit from the viewing area of New Zealand's largest gold mine. The Macraes Mine has produced over 4 million ounces of gold and is New Zealand's largest gold-producing operation.Located in East Otago, Macraes consists of an open-cast pit and Frasers Underground mine. Frasers sits 200m below sea level and 740m below the ground surface. The network of developed tunnel drives is around 48km.From the purpose built viewing area, visitors can look over and into the expanse of the open-cast pit, watching the heavy machinery at work. Dump tracks will systematically haul their cargo up and out of the pit before returning with an empty tray, rolling right past the viewing room. You can also see the underground entrance at the bottom of the pit.Interpretation information is displayed inside viewing room.
Golden Point Battery Reserve
Suggested visit time: 15 - 30 minsTurn off SH85 onto Macraes Rd 15 km north of Palmerston. At Macraes, turn onto Golden Point Rd. Follow the road until the end. Caution: Golden Point Rd crossed a heavily used mining track of Macreas Mine.Wonderfully preserved stamper battery and the only authentic working example in Otago – it will leave you in awe of the determination of early miners. A tunnel and shaft dug into the hillside exposes Otago Schist.Hundreds of stamper batteries like this once pounded gold out of the rock at goldmines across New Zealand but have long since fallen silent and vanished into history. Callery's Battery is the only complete stamper battery in New Zealand to survive on site in working order.Built in 1902 to serve the Golden Point gold mine, the five-stamper plant was in commercial operation until the 1950s and still runs today. The battery is protected in the Golden Point Historic Reserve, which keeps important remnants of Otago's gold mining history. See the contrast between historical and present day gold mining with the presence of a large modern gold mine sitting just over the hill.Please be aware the following hazards include: old mining area (hidden shafts), uneven surface, changing water level at creek, and narrow access road. Wider hazards associated with active mining including: heaving machinery / truck use of roads, blasting.
What's next
Well done. That’s the end of the tour. We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of the great Coastal highlights the Waitaki has to offer.If you’d like to learn more about what's in the Waitaki, including places to stay and to eat, go to Tourism Waitaki website.
