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The japanese inspired bridge blew me away - what about those colours?

Oamaru Public Gardens New Zealand

November 15, 2012 By Jan Robinson 17 Comments

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Oamaru is a small town in North Otago on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Oamaru Public Gardens are more interesting and beautiful than you would think.

Oamaru Public Gardens Duck Pond

We had three children with us, who could sniff a playground from a mile away and so we arrived at Oamaru Public Gardens.  There were ducks – a pixie table – bridges – and some well tended bird aviaries (a nod to Victorian times)  and even a Wonderland Statue.

Oamaru Public Gardens - Wonderland Statue

The  Wonderland Statue created by the famous Scottish sculptor, Thomas Clapperton, was donated to the children of Oamaru in 1926 by Robert Milligan, the then Mayor of Oamaru.  He commissioned Clapperton after seeing the Peter Pan statue in London’s Kensington Gardens. 

While the London statue is of Peter Pan looking down on the fairies and animals, the Oamaru statue is of a random boy and girl, on a tree stump looking down to the fairies, birds and animals at the base of the sculpture.  It was impressive and reminded me of the Alice in Wonderland statue in NYC’s Central Park. Way back in 1858 there was provision made to develop 13 hectares of public reserve (today’s garden) when Oamaru was surveyed. It seems that planning and foresight is prevalent here – Way to go Mr. Milligan and Oamaru.

The japanese inspired bridge blew me away - what about those colours?
Oamaru Creek, on it’s way through the garden, provides the wonderful opportunity to building eye-catching bridges.

It was Spring time and although the rose buds had not yet opened, the gardens were looking wonderful.  The hot house was brimming with begonias and bromeliads , that grow back home in our tropical garden all year round.  They may be living in foreign climes, but those plants were sure loving all the hot house pampering.

Hot House Pampering at the Oamaru Public Gardens

While the vibrant colours and warmth of the hot house, and the Red Japanese Bridge were spectacular, the gardens, begun in 1876, were meant to be a  botanical expression of Oamaru’s Victorian history, so I was looking for some floral romance, like maybe a Rose of Sharon bush, or a formal garden fit for a Queen or even a hunting scene.

Rose of Sharon - catch phrase of lyric and verse. Oamaru Public Gardens.

 

Formal Garden and Hunting Scene - Oamaru Public GardensNothing says Victorian romance like fallen blossoms on a path.

The children had talked with the cockatoo, scampered over bridges, inspected the Wonderland statue and explored the garden’s nooks and crannies enthusiastically and patiently, knowing full well that their reward – the playground – was yet to come.

Humpty Dumpty and See Saw Marjory Daw-two Victorian themed playground rides.

But wait, I can’t resist sharing two more of my favourite shots from the gardens.

Reflection Pool - Oamaru

Oamaru Potted Magic

Things to Know

Entrance to the Gardens is free.

What to Do – Purchase an artisan cheese from the Whitestone Cheese Factory beforehand, and have a refined Victorian garden picnic.

Where to Stay – Gumtree Farmstay on Airbnb is a 90 acre cattle and sheep property only minutes out of Oamaru.   A warm Kiwi/Australian family welcome awaits at this large modern farmhouse complete with landscaped gardens, picture windows and private bathroom.

Oamaru Public Gardens : Entrances off Severn Street (S.H.1) and Chelmer Street


Budget Travelers Sandbox is the place to visit Travel Photo Thursday for travel photos from around the world.  Click on the Link.

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Filed Under: New Zealand / Pacific

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jackie Smith

    November 15, 2012 at 2:38 pm

    Those blooms are spectacular!

    Reply
    • Jan

      November 15, 2012 at 3:33 pm

      Thanks Jackie, It was such a great garden for such a small town. Jan

      Reply
  2. Mary @ The World Is A Book

    November 15, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    What a beautiful park and you captured its highlights with these lovely photos. I love the Wonderland and the Humpty statue. This park is perfect for kids and all those flowers and plants are just stunning.

    Reply
    • Jan

      November 16, 2012 at 9:00 am

      Thanks Mary, We enjoyed our morning there. Next time I visit I will look further into it’s nooks and crannies. Jan

      Reply
  3. InsideJourneys

    November 16, 2012 at 1:14 am

    My, the gardens are beautiful and even with kids playgrounds, look so serene. I can imagine spending time there with a good book or just daydreaming.

    Reply
    • Jan

      November 16, 2012 at 8:21 am

      They were so serene, if I went back again I would take more time to explore it’s far flung corners. Jan

      Reply
  4. Leigh

    November 16, 2012 at 1:33 am

    I love gardening and visiting botanical gardens. I could do a whole trip of just gardens – and this one looks lovely. I really like your blossom shot looking upwards through the leaves.

    Reply
    • Jan

      November 16, 2012 at 8:20 am

      Thanks Leigh, That is my favourite as well. It is a Rose of Sharon bush – not really a rose. Jan

      Reply
  5. Nancie

    November 17, 2012 at 8:36 am

    This is gorgeous. Parts of it are very similar to Halifax’s (my hometown) Public Gardens. It’s also a Victorian garden.

    Reply
    • Jan

      November 17, 2012 at 9:11 am

      Hi Nancie, I googled Halifax Public Gardens – they are wonderful. I think they are probably bigger and better than Oamaru’s, but I was pleasantly surprised by them all the same. Jan

      Reply
  6. Sophie

    November 21, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    I love public gardens, so very English – even in the middle of Canada or New Zealand. Very pretty photos.

    Reply
    • Jan

      November 22, 2012 at 3:07 pm

      Yes they are wonderful. You could see that these ones were so well looked after. Jan

      Reply
  7. Sanjana @ Green Global Travel

    June 16, 2015 at 7:09 am

    What a beautiful park and these pictures are so lovely. Great place for a family outing. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Fantastic Friday - Mud Walls says:
    November 16, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    […] month’s travelling where we caught up with friends in Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia and Oamaru in New Zealand.  The final two weeks we spent at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland […]

    Reply
  2. An interview with Gumtree Farmstay host in Oamaru, New Zealand says:
    December 19, 2012 at 3:26 pm

    […] farm life as you wish, where you can get a local’s advice on the Victorian Heritage Town of Oamaru just 10 minutes away, or on planning a delicious day trip in the […]

    Reply
  3. Road Trip New Zealands South Island Part 3 says:
    October 28, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    […] has a lively Victorian precinct which includes Steampunk HQ. Oamaru’s lovely public garden is a whimsical mix of statues and flowers that is a credit to this relatively small town. It is […]

    Reply

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