Wallabies and a White Horse

Almost halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin, and just down the road from the spectacular Mackenzie region, the small South Island  town of Waimate has been generating a bit of a buzz. Waimate has long been a rural farming town. Now travellers are discovering it too. It’s  close to some of the South Island’s bestknown destinations, but away from the crowds – a place where you can still experience real rural Kiwi  country life.

Alongside the district’s working farms and native forests, you’ll find a relaxed village with a highly regarded Saturday farmers’ market, ten  vintage stores, great eateries, towering painted silos, a giant White Horse surrounded by walking and mountain biking tracks – and a park  where you can wander among orphaned wallabies and hand-feed them.

Here are ten reasons to explore Waimate on your South Island roadie.

1. Meet Waimate’s wallabies

Take your time and wander around EnkleDooVery Korna hand feeding orphaned wallabies as they hop about the park. Meeting owner Gwen  is also well worth the visit. She’s a real character – and she has other entertaining animals to meet, including dancing cockatoos.

2. Take in the view from the White Horse

Walk, run, bike or drive up to Centrewood Park, where the giant White Horse looks out over Waimate. The viewing platforms hang out over  the town and the views are incredible. If you choose to walk up you’ll wander through an ecosanctuary where native bush and birds are  flourishing.

3. Explore ancient Māori rock art

Some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant Māori rock art can be found in the Waimate District. Visit the limestone shelters at Takiroa  and Maerewhenua to see drawings created by early Māori travellers centuries ago.

4. Stand beneath Aotearoa’s largest painted silos

You won’t miss them. Waimate’s historic grain silos have been transformed into enormous works of art celebrating notable people and  stories  from the district’s past. Walk around the towering murals to appreciate their scale and detail.

5. Find a track and follow it

Walk through native forest, find waterfalls and native birds, or explore the tracks in the Hunters Hills. The new Waimate Trail adds a longer  shared-use trail through farms, past the largest find of moa bones in the country and out towards Waihao Forks. If you’re into walking,  running, cycling or mountain biking, Waimate’s got you covered.

6. See history in action at Bushtown

Bushtown Heritage Park brings Waimate’s pioneering story to life through historic buildings, machinery and displays. Visit on an operating  day for a miniature railway ride, or time your trip for a family fun weekend or steam event – complete with noise, smoke and character.

7. Take yourself on a tour

Download the free Waimate App and follow its self-guided tours of historic buildings, public art and interesting sites around the town and  district. It supplies the stories and directions; you set the pace.

8. Hunt for second-hand treasures

Waimate has ten second-hand and vintage stores within easy walking distance of the town centre. On Saturday mornings, the Waimate  Market fills Seddon Square with local growers and makers, vintage finds, food and coffee.

9. Discover the story of Ted’s bottle

At the Waihao Forks Hotel, you’ll find one of New Zealand’s most poignant war memorials: a beer left for local farmer Ted d’Auvergne to  drink when he returned from the Second World War. Ted was killed in action; his bottle remains unopened behind the bar.

10. Come for an event

Waimate knows how to throw an event. The annual calendar includes the Strawberry Fare, Caledonian Games, The Whitehorse Big Easy,  The  Southern Canterbury A&P Show, Waimate Rodeo, March Hare Motorcycle Rally and Bushtown’s heritage events.

Find your way to Waimate

Waimate is in South Canterbury on the eastern side of New Zealand’sSouth Island, almost halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin. It’s approximately 40 minutes from both Timaru and Oamaru and just seven kilometres inland from State Highway 1.

Find places to explore, events, walks, accommodation and places to eat at waimate.org.nz.