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State Highway One from Christchurch to Dunedin
Dorothy - 26/05/06
Part 2 –The Waitaki River to Dunedin – the Otago section
After crossing the Waitaki River the road takes you through gently sloping
hilly country to Oamaru of whitestone fame, the Moeraki boulders, the
sweeping seascape at Katiki, Palmerston, the little town at the crossroads,
and on over the hills to the city of Dunedin.
The Waitaki River bridge
Crossing the wide Waitaki River was important from the early days of
settlement. Geoffrey Thornton in
“Bridging the Gap: Early Bridges in New Zealand” describes the bridge that was built.
The need for a reliable bridge was recognised by 1871 when a wrought iron
plate girder bridge was designed to carry both road and rail traffic.
Triple girders were used to separate the road and rail traffic. The rail portion was
3.7m wide and the roadway was 5.8 metres wide. There were 110 plate girders
which were 0.7 m deep with a span of 10m. They were supported on
222 concrete-filled iron cylinders of 0.9 m diameter. All the ironwork was
imported from England. The bridge cost £76,000 which was a huge amount
at that time, but when it opened in 1876 it provided a vitally important link
between Canterbury and Otago. It was replaced by separate road and rail
bridges in 1957.
The 45th Parallel of Latitude
As you drive south and pass through the area known as Hilderthorpe watch on
the west side of the road for the stone which marks the 45th Parallel of
Latitude – half way between the Equator and the South Pole.
Pukeuri Memorial Junction
A marble column commemorates the sacrifice of men from the district who
died in World War 1.
On the right is the road up the Waitaki Valley to Duntroon, Kurow and
Omarama where you can join the main route to Queenstown.
Oamaru
Twenty two km (14 miles) from the Waitaki Bridge you reach Oamaru.
In recent years the town has been promoted more actively as a tourist
destination. The local quarry produced beautiful white Oamaru stone used in
the ornate buildings erected in the nineteenth century and now restored and
put to new uses. It is worth spending time in the old town near the
harbour. The information centre is in that area and information about the
old buildings is available there.
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The former Post Office with its tower and clock
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In the middle of the town where the main road turns half right there is
another war memorial, and to visit the old buildings you need to drive
straight ahead at this junction.
After turning right at this intersection to follow SH 1, you will see on
your right the Oamaru Gardens. These are well worth a visit for their
attractive layout and the Wonderland statue.
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Wonderland statue
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The Wonderland statue depicts two children, not intended to be Peter Pan
and Wendy, standing on a base like a tree stump and looking down at the
fairies, elves, birds, squirrels, and other small animals sculpted on the
base.
If you are travelling with children the gardens are a good place to stop as
they can entertain themselves at the wallaby park and a children’s
playground.
Totara Estate - New Zealand's first freezing works
Just 1.8 km south of Oamaru is the Totara Estate where New Zealand's first
cargo of frozen meat was prepared for export in the ship Dunedin in 1882.
The buildings built in Oamaru stone were restored in 1980 and were opened
to the public in 1982 to mark the centenary of the Dunedin's departure. The
park and the buildings are open to the public.
Admission
$7 Adult, $2 Student, $15 Family, Concessions apply. Guided tour options
available on request.
Opening hours
Summer: October - April: 7 Days 10am – 5pm.
Winter: May - September: Wednesday to Sunday 10am – 4pm
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New Zealand's first freezing works at the Totara Estate
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Moeraki Boulders
Forty km (25 miles) from Oamaru, just beyond Hampden, a sign on the left
indicates the road to the Moeraki Boulders.
You can park near the restaurant and then follow the beach walk to view the
Moeraki boulders. These spherical septarian boulders are 60 million years
old and are partially buried in the sand on the coastline. The sea is
slowly eroding the boulders and uncovering new ones - some up to four
metres in circumference. They were formed on the sea floor by the gradual
accumulation of lime salts around a small centre. They become visible as
the softer mudstone of the bank behind the beach is gradually washed away.
You could add to the time at Moeraki by walking to the Moeraki Point
whalers’ lookout. This gives you a view south to the Moeraki Lighthouse.
Katiki Beach
A short distance further on you reach Katiki Beach – a beautiful six
kilometre stretch of sandy beach extending from the Moeraki Lighthouse in
the north to Shag Point in the south. Smaller boulders similar to those at
Moeraki occur at Shag Point, and Katiki. Beach. We always allow time to
stop at Katiki Beach, pull in at the rest area where the road first reaches
the coast and walk on to the beach and view the vista of beach to the north
and the south.
Palmerston
Palmerston is the next settlement on SH1. It originally developed as a
farming centre and because it is the turnoff for the Pigroot, which leads
to Central Otago. It is now a quiet village with a motel and several places
offering tea, coffee and meals.
The town is named after Lord Palmerston who was Prime Minister of Britain
for terms between 1855 and 1865, but Sir John Mackenzie, honoured by a
memorial nearby on Puketapu Hill, is a more significant figure in local
history. He obtained land when the run owned by the whaler, Johnny Jones,
was broken up in 1865. After years of service on local bodies he became a
Member of Parliament in 1881 and retained his seat for twenty years until
ill health forced his retirement. He unfailingly supported moves to get rid
of abuses which kept small farmers from owning their own land. He was
knighted three weeks before his death by the Duke of York whose train
stopped at Shag Point to confer this honour.
Waikouaiti
Fourteen kilometres from Palmerston is Otago’s oldest settlement, founded
by the whaler, Johnny Jones. Once whaling declined he bought land and
became a trader. A visit to the local museum, historic sites and local
churches gifted land by Johnny Jones would give a chance to learn more
about this controversial figure.
The beach offers safe swimming, and is saved from erosion by the planting
of marram grass organised by Sir Truby King. He was Medical Superintendent
of Seacliff Hospital, not far from Waikouaiti, and was a keen naturalist
and farmer, although he is best-known as the founder of the Plunket system
for bringing up babies.
Turnoff to coastal road
A short distance from Waikouaiti note the road to the left which winds
along the coast and passes through the seaside settlements of Karitane,
Seacliff and Warrington, rejoining SH1 at Evansdale – a scenic diversion.
Evansdale to the Motorway
A scenic stretch of SH1 skirts the shores of Blueskin Bay until at Waitati
it reaches the turnoff to the Motorway. This gives easy travelling for some
20 km (12 miles) to the centre of Dunedin. I often travelled over the
unsealed and winding Mt Cargill route as a child and suffered from car
sickness in spite of my parents trying all known remedies. This makes me
feel truly grateful to the motorway builders every time we travel over it.
As the road descends through Pine Hill there is a great view of the city of
Dunedin and the harbour which never fails to impress me.
If you turn into George Street you will pass many of the interesting old
houses which the people of Dunedin have preserved and Knox Presbyterian
Church, and then reach the beautiful Octagon in the centre of the city with
the Anglican Cathedral overlooking the area.
Editor's comment
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