Places and Towns

With a population of 12,600, Oamaru is the capital of the Waitaki District and provides a service centre for outlying communities. The town has a hospital, general practitioners, dentists, i-SITE Visitor Centre, various large and small retail outlets, art galleries and museums. It is also a collection and drop of point for bus companies.

Down the coast you'll find smaller settlements and villages including Totara, Maheno, Herbert, Hampden and Moeraki. Palmerston is the last town before Dunedin and offers a gateway to the Macraes gold-mining area and Central Otago.

Heading north, the Waitaki Valley is home for Papakaio, Duntroon, Kurow, Otematata and the township of Omarama which is found at a busy junction linking visitors to Ohau, Mt Aoraki-Cook or further afield to Christchurch. Alternatively a western route leads to Alexandra and Queenstown.

It's a place of surprises featuring a collection of towns and villages that will delight, inspire and intrigue anyone with time to head off the more well-travelled path.

For more detail on towns, click on its name.

  Duntroon

   Hampden

   Herbert

   Kakanui 

   Kurow

   Macraes Flat

  Maheno

   Moeraki

   Oamaru

   Omarama

   Otematata

   Palmerston

   Waitaki Valley