Oamaru & Waitaki Visitor Information Centre

28/05/2026

22/04/2026

WE’RE CLOSING – LAST DAY SUNDAY 3 MAY

Since 2022, the Oamaru & Waitaki Visitor Information Centre at 12 Harbour Street, along with Whitestone City, our hands-on heritage centre, has welcomed the growing number of domestic and international visitors arriving in our town and district, providing them with advice and information that they are wanting.

We spend our time face-to-face with these visitors, cheerleading for our locals businesses, attractions, natural and built environments and activities, and events that make Oamaru and the Waitaki district, such an amazing place to experience.

In 2025 we welcomed just under 36,000 visitors, with just over 12,000 of them also opting to spend time in Whitestone City. Overall, visitor numbers are going up every year.

However, the council funding for service delivery of visitor information has been cut, and without this funding, both the Oamaru & Waitaki Visitor Information Centre and Whitestone City will close.

Behind the scenes, we are submitting to the annual plan process for continued funding as our last chance to save this service. Over 90 support letters/emails have now come in (around 80 printed pages) from businesses, hospo operators, tour operators, accommodation providers, schools, community groups, heritage advocates, and local supporters. If you want to add your words to this submission, please email me at [email protected].

In the meantime, we are so sorry we can’t be there to welcome you to our town and district. Interesting times indeed, and not in a good way!

24/12/2025

Meri Kirihimete!

We're closed Xmas Day and New Years Day, open all other days from 10am to 4pm.

Wishing you all happy and safe holidays!

22/12/2025

Kia ora folks, here are our lists of what is open and what isn’t over the Xmas and New Year period.

OAMARU HISTORIC AREA
OAMARU FOOD STORES & SUPERMARKETS
OAMARU THINGS TO DO
OAMARU PLACES TO EAT (PART 1 AND PART 2)
WAITAKI COASTAL & VALLEY

GREEN is normal opening hours, which may vary from business to business over this time. If you are planning a special trip to visit one of them during this holiday period, best to contact them directly to confirm opening times on that particular day.

X is when businesses have told us they are definitely closed for the holidays.

If we have got anything wrong, or have missed you out, let us know by DM and we’ll make corrections. Please share this post widely, rather than just posting the lists on your page, as lists in our original posts will be updated.

This is a big job every year, so huge thanks to those businesses and operators who responded to our messages, emails and phone calls!

Waitaki Whitestone Geopark
Oamaru's Victorian Precinct

21/10/2025

09/01/2025

Kia ora, everyone, Harbour Street is starting to look really Victorian as the Precinct is prepared for the Netflix filming which starts this weekend.

Oamaru & Waitaki Visitor Information Centre at the front of 12 Harbour Street will remain open throughout next week, apart from Tuesday 14 January when the main filming in Harbour Street is planned.

Whitestone City, our hands-on heritage centre within the same building will be closed from Sunday 12 January, reopening Friday 17th January.

Very exciting times in Oamaru's Victorian Precinct!

23/12/2024

Kia ora, everyone, here's the lists for who is open (or not) over the Xmas and New Year periods - 'x' means closed.

PLEASE TAKE THIS AS GUIDANCE, NOT GOSPEL! This information was collated from a combination of what was available from pages, websites and phone calls. Check directly with businesses/operators if you want to be 100% sure they'll be open when you want to visit.

BUSINESSES/OPERATORS: If we haven't got it right, please let us know and we can edit. If we have missed you off the list this time, let us know so we can include you next time.

FACEBOOK ADMINS: Please share this post, rather than just images, so if we do make any changes to the lists, folks clicking in to our post on your page will get the most updated versions.

Have a wonderful Xmas and New Year!

26/04/2024

Have your say!

🙋‍♂️: It's poll time, so let us know what you think.

The Harbour Street trial pedestrianisation ends on Sunday 28 April, and we're looking for your feedback. Pick one of the emojis so we can get a read on how you feel about it.

If you've got photos, or ideas and suggestions about the trial, drop them in the comments too. We're looking to hear from everyone on this, so let us know what you think today.

19/04/2024

A reminder that Harbour Street will be closed to vehicles from tomorrow through to 28th April. Please see the attached map for disability parking options and loading zones. An ideal time to wander down Harbour Street with the family, take some photos without cars in the background and support our local businesses.
KH

23/12/2023

Meri Kirihimete! Here's some handy lists of what will (and won't) be open over the holiday season.

Please note, there may be some changes to days that owners/operators let us know, we will update the spreadsheets here as needed.

Facebook folk: with this in mind re updates, please share the link to this post rather than copying the lists here to your own page.