Living in Oamaru
Life in the Whitestone City
With more than 200 families moving to Oamaru, the Pasifika Community make up 20% of Oamaru’s 13,000 people.
Oamaru Weather
The beautiful port town of Oamaru is located in a scenic harbor on the east cost of the South island of New Zealand. It has a continental weather and really few extremes in weather conditions.
- One can expect moderate temperatures of 15-23 °C in Summer which is from December till February.
- In winter which is from June to August, temperatures are mild and they range from 5 – 13 deg °C.
Oamaru’s average rainfall is about 500-600mm annually.
Fire Emergency
Need help or want to find out if you need a fire permit, Call 0800 658 628 or email firepermit.enquiries@fireandemergency.nz.
Oamaru Services
Health
Oamaru Hospital, Waitaki District Health Services – offers a range of public and private integrated services including a 24/7 Emergency Department, Inpatient beds, Maternity, Laboratory, Specialist Outpatient Clinics, Radiology (Plain Film Radiography, CT Scanning and Ultrasound), Geriatric and Mobile Surgical Services. It also serves as the base for wider Allied and Community Health Services such as District Nursing, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Occupational Therapy and Clinical Needs Assessment.
Central Medical Oamaru, Oamaru Doctors, Whitestone Family Practice, Junction Doctors, North End Health Centre, South Hill Medical.
CCS Disability Action Waitaki, Workbridge Oamaru, IHC Oamaru, Oamaru Citizens Advice Bureau, Mental Health Support Centre, Age Concern Waitaki, Youthtown Oamaru, Waitaki Community Mental Health Service, Waitaki Safer Community Council, Oamaru Kindergarten Association, Oamaru PDS, Oamaru Hospital, Otago Disabled Student’s Association.
Community
Volunteer South – Waitaki, Oamaru Volunteer Drill Hall, SPCA Oamaru Centre, The Order of St. John, Volunteer South Trust, Blind Low Vision NZ, Volunteer South – South Dunedin Hub, Heart Foundation NZ North Otago Branch, Alzheimer’s Society Otago, Oamaru Fire Station, Age Concerns Otago.
There are approximately 2000 Pacific Islanders residing in Oamaru. The largest Pasifika ethnic group is our Tongan community, followed by the Tuvalu community and Fijian, Samoan, Tokelauan, Cook Island, Niuean.
In addition to OPICG Inc there are also ethnic specific community groups – Oamaru Tuvalu Community, Oamaru Fijian Community Group and Waitaki Tongan Community Trust and the Oamaru Pacific Island Network.
Waitaki District Community House, Waitaki Community Recreation Centre, Oamaru Opera House, The Youth Centre, Waitaki Aquatic Centre, Papakaio Community Hall.
There are 12 Pasifika established churches locally (10 Tongan and 2 Tuvaluan churches), the Tongan Ward for the Church of Latter-Day Saints as the largest congregation.
List of Churches in Oamaru: -Oamaru Elim Church, Reformed Church, St. Luke’s Anglican Church, REACH Church, Orwell St Church, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Blue Penguin Church, St. Patrick’s Basilica, The Salvation Army, Oamaru, Baptist Church, Catholic Church, House of Breakthrough, St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Waitaki Presbyterian Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Christian Life Centre, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Weston Presbyterian Church, Tongan Methodist Church.
Oamaru Farmer’s Market – open every Sunday between 9.30am and 1pm behind Scott’s Brewery in Oamaru’s historic Victorian Precinct.
Things to do
Alliance Freezing Works and the primary industry sector is our main employer for Pasifika.
North Otago Amateur Athletic & Harrier Club, Sport Waitaki, Oamaru Squash and Badminton Club, Hockey Pavilion, Waitaki Aquatic Centre, North Otago Rugby Football Union, Waitaki Community Recreation Centre, Snap Fitness 24/7, Oamaru Rowing Club, Oamaru Sports and Outdoors Limited, Oamaru Phoenix Bowling Club, Oamaru Skate Park, Oamaru Club, Galleon Family Complex, Sports Central Brewhouse.
Oamaru has a comprehensive range of community sporting facilities for rugby, tennis, swimming, netball, cricket, golf, hockey and bowls. Centennial Park is Oamaru’s major sporting venue, and is the home of North Otago Rugby Football Union, and North Otago Cricket. The Waitaki District Council owns and operates the Oamaru Aquatic Centre.
Waitaki & Oamaru Visitor Centre, Oamaru Opera House, Oamaru Harbour, Steampunk HQ, North Otago Museum, Waitaki Museum, Forrester Gallery, Victorian Precinct, Lookout Point – viewpoint in Oamaru, Whitestone Cheese, Rainbow Confectionary, Cinema, Friendly Bay and Steampunk Playgrounds, etc.
Oamaru Heritage Walking Tours, Parkside Quarries Limited, Twilight Tales Tour, North Otago Aeroclub, Fly Fishing Waitaki and Whitestone Cheese Factory Tour.
Schooling
A lot of people are coming to Oamaru, which celebrates NZ’s growing cultural diversity and ensures that all students feel culturally safe and valued, increase and enhance student’s awareness and understanding of other cultures and countries, etc.
| Name | Years | Gender | Area | Notes: |
| Ardgowan School | 1-8 | Coed | Oamaru | |
| Fenwick School | 1-6 | Coed | Oamaru | |
| Oamaru Intermediate | 7-8 | Coed | Oamaru | |
| Oamaru North School | 1-6 | Coed | Oamaru | |
| Pembroke School | 1-6 | Coed | Oamaru | |
| St. Joseph’s School | 1-8 | Coed | Oamaru |
Schools in surrounding areas include: Weston School; Totara School; and Five Forks School.
St. Kevin’s College | 9-13 | Coed | Oamaru | Catholic, Boarding |
Waitaki Boys High School | 9-13 | Boys | Oamaru | Boarding |
Waitaki Girl’s High School | 9-13 | Girls | Oamaru | Boarding |
Services
Oamaru is on the main national bus route, which you can find more information about in Bus Networks in New Zealand. InterCity operates daily buses from Dunedin to Oamaru and the journey will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Buses to Oamaru depart from the InterCity Dunedin bus stop at 331 Moray Place, Platform K, Outside Countdown Supermarket and arrive at the bus stop outside the public toilets, Eden Street.
InterCity Coachlines also operate daily from Oamaru (at the bus stop outside the public toilets, Eden Street) to Dunedin Airport (DUD). The bus journey time between Oamaru and Dunedin Airport (DUD) is around 2h 34m and covers a distance of around 142 km. The fastest bus normally takes 2h 34m.
Council does not provide a rubbish collection service in Waitaki and therefore does not charge rates for this. Kerbside collection services are provided by private contractors. You can choose a collection service that suits you best and pay for what you use. This means if you produce less waste, you pay less. We think this is a fairer way than everyone paying the same rate. The following businesses will pick up your rubbish from outside your property. You will need to check with them to confirm which areas they service, their pickup days and where you should leave your rubbish. Some of these providers also offer recycling and green waste collection services. You can contact them directly to confirm details.
- Awamoa Bins & Skips
27 Chelmer Street, Oamaru. Ph: 03 434 9445
Visit the Awamoa Bins & Skips website.
Awamoa Bins offers wheelie bins (120/240 litre) and skips (1.5m³ to 8m³) with weekly, two weekly, monthly or on-call pick up. They also offer a daily pick-up service for cardboard, recyclables and rubbish for businesses.
- WasteCo
100a Carmen Road, Hornby, Christchurch . Ph: 0800 341 11 11
Visit the WasteCo website.
WasteCo offer kerbside rubbish collection for customers throughout the District. Contact them for more information on bin sizes and collection options. Wheelie bins are suitable for household rubbish to the landfill/transfer station with different pick-up frequency options. They also offer a wheelie bin rubbish and recycling collection service for businesses.
- Waste Management
13 Industrial Place, Oamaru. Ph: 0800 10 10 10
Visit the Waste Management NZ website.
Waste Management provide a variety of short and long term rubbish collection services for customers throughout the District. General waste wheelie bins are suitable for general household waste. All long-term rostered kerbside collections can be tailored using a variety of bin sizes and empty frequency options.
Council does not provide a recycling collection service in Waitaki and therefore does not charge rates for this. Kerbside collection services are provided by private contractors. If you don’t have transport or the time to drop off your recyclables, Waitaki has a range of service providers who can pick them up from your place. You will need to check with them to confirm which areas they service, what recyclables they will pick up and how they would like you to sort it – eg newspapers tied in a bundle. We cannot guarantee its accuracy and recommend you contact them directly to confirm details.
- Awamoa Bins & Skips
27 Chelmer Street, Oamaru. Ph: 03 434 9445
Visit the Awamoa Bins & Skips website.
Awamoa offer a pre-paid bag or a 240L wheelie bin for kerbside collection. Pick up is Wednesdays, or ‘on call’. Note – glass is a separate pick up.
- WasteCo
100a Carmen Road, Hornby, Christchurch . Ph: 0800 341 11 11
Visit the WasteCo website.
WasteCo offers a household-kerbside wheelie bin collection of recycling. Contact them toll-free for details on what recyclables they collect and collection days.
- Waste Management (commercial only)
13 Industrial Place, Oamaru. Ph: 0800 10 10 10
Visit the Waste Management NZ website.
Recycling option is offered to businesses Waihemo Wastebusters Resource Recovery Centre
27 Tiverton Street, Palmerston . Phone: 03 465 7431
Blue recycling bags can be purchased for $3 at Palmerston Four Square, East Otago On the Spot, Puketapu Radio or the Centre itself. Street collection of blue bags is every Tuesday in Palmerston Township, or the first Tuesday of the month in Shag Point, Goodwood and Dunback. There is a shed in the Macraes Township for blue bag drop-offs.
Free WIFI is available at the Oamaru Library and at some cafes, including Tees St Café (62 Thames St) and Short black Café (45 Thames St). Free WIFI vouchers are also available at Rose’s General Store and Information for the precinct area.
There is! You can park your car for free:
– in between Tyne Street and Tees Street,
– at the Oamaru Harbour,
– in the area next to Scott’s Brewery,
– at the Esplanade,
– behind ANZ with access off Humber Street.
There are also other free car parks around towns, but they have a time limit.