Omarama - Gliding Capital of the World

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Omarama is 40 minutes from where you reach Route 8 after leaving Mount Cook. Next stop can be the salmon farm along the way. You might want to pull into Twizal and have a look next. A community built as the village for all the workers on the Waitaki Hydro dams and is now a thriving up-market community and a pleasant place for tourists to visit.
Just before Omarama is a turnoff to a new DOC camp on the Quaiburn Road if you want to have a good look at the real country about and a historic wool shed plus a place called the Clay Cliffs and the winery there. We visited for a night just after it opened and enjoyed the solitude.
Omarama is the gliding capital of the world and is known internationally for the thermals that bring the top soaring that is so enjoyed. The International National Grand Prix of Gliding to be held in 2006. (27-29 Jan). New Zealander John Coutts is the current world champion. Visit www.gp06.com for more information. Omarama is a small town close to the Ahuriri River known as one of the top ten trout streams in the world.
In Omarama is the Totara Peak Gallery that has a museum of costumes and memorabilia from the tv show Xena, our New Zealand lady warrior, plus a lot of fantastic items to browse through owned and run by Sally and Tony Fodie. Good place to stop and see and have a chat about the area and ask them how Xena stuff got here. If you want any old books from New Zealand this is the place to stop and browse.
Next we cruise on back toward the East Coast via Route 83 ending up at Route 1 in about 2 hours drive just north of Oamaru.
Along route 83 you will pass a series of three hydro lakes (these three lakes provide over one-third of the country's electricity) on the left all excellent trout fishing. I have done a lot of fishing but not much catching. I seem to scare them away with my tree catching delivery. The Lake Benmore Motor Camp is a good stay. Each campsite has its own personal toilet block at the sight. Lots of freedom camping spots all along here.
The major town you pass through is Kurow. Keep an eye out for the fabulous Oamaru stone buildings here. The most interesting place is next the settlement of Duntroon. Highly recommend a stop to visit the Vanishing World Museum. This area geologically has produced some spectacular fossils such as the shark-toothed dolphin and a whale plus a lot more.

Check out the website at: Vanishing World

In addition there is Nicol's Blacksmith shop with a working 19th century forge and, of course, the Flying Pig Cafe!
Just before and after the town of Duntroon also is the area along the road where remnants of early Maori charcoal rock drawings can be seen. More information at the Museum.
Just past Duntroon for one of the best holiday camps in the country take the Livingston-Duntroon Road south toward Dansey's Pass. It is the Dansey's Pass Holiday Park 15km outset along the Maerewhenua River. As they say " a true Kiwi Camp which has been in existence since 1955". When you see the pool in the river you will wish you were a kid again.
We did take our seven-metre bus on through the Dansey's Pass. Not recommended. No problems but the road is narrow at places but not much worry about traffic. Though I have been challenged to get a good photo at Dansey's Pass! May have to go again. Besides there's the Dansey's Pass Inn on the other side.

So on we go east and then south.

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Photos

The Ahuriri River - Omarama
The Ahuriri River - considered one of the
top ten trout rivers in the world.
This is a spring time photo with the lupins in bloom.

Totara Peak Gallery - Oamaru
The home to costumes from Xena-Warrior Princess an internationally acclaimed tv series from New Zealand.
Also a storehouse full of old NZ books

Shark-toothed Dolphin
25 million years ago the land around Duntroon was the ocean floor where numerous extinct animals left their bones to be pushed up by the forces to become a part of the local landscape.

A field full of (elephant) Rocks
The remmants of prehistoric times in New Zealand at Duntroon.