As this was such a popular trip last year, Wayne has decided to run it again this year.
Here’s what Wayne wrote about it last time …

The Oamaru skyline walk is an easy-moderate two-part 1/2 day walk that starts below the skyline ridge behind the Waitaki Girls School at the northern end of Oamaru.

It starts with a short uphill street walk which leads into open grassland, then sidles through a patch of native bush before dropping down to a small creek behind the Janet Frame House. It then continues up beside the creek, past a locally famous quarry of geological interest, and then up through a pine plantation to another grassland ridge. Good views of Oamaru and the port are seen from an unusually high perspective.
From here the walk takes us past an astronomical observatory, while below us we have views of an historical water wheel used for flour milling. This could be a good lunch spot for a future visit.
We then drop down into the Botanical Gardens and follow the Oamaru Stream, passing under an historical stone bridge and seeing parts of Oamaru that are not usually seen. Soon we arrive at the beach and see the Council’s new and impressive wooden suspension bridge over the stream. A short diversion lets us see the buildings that were the original ‘freezing works’ near the port of Oamaru.

Now behind the historic Oamaru Victorian Precinct, we then move along the waterfront before climbing up the hill track behind the port to a lookout point. From here we move into an area that was recently a pine plantation but now has lots of native plantings, and we get to inspect some concrete gun emplacements. There are plenty of walking tracks and cycle tracks in this area.
At the end of the walk we drop back down the hill and can visit the penguin viewing area. Also, if they are co-operative on the day, view seals and pups snoozing safely just metres away over a fence.
A short walk back along the waterfront to the car takes us past numerous noticeboards explaining the history of the Port of Oamaru.
Time: About 4 hours.

Grade: Easy
Contact: Wayne 027 9206638