Waimate is filled with friendly folk, and its many tourist and heritage attractions make it perfect for a family holiday, writes Pam Jones.
As we travel on horseback towards tussock-clad hills it feels like we're in goldrush country, but a furry pest ahead reminds otherwise.
At only 1m high, the marsupial does not look sinister, his presence instead considered a lucky sighting by my children and me as we enjoy a quiet horse trek towards Mt Studholme.
But, much like the rampant rabbits in Central Otago further south, wallabies are a double-edged sword in the district of Waimate, both a tourist attraction of sorts and a scourge for local farmers, who rue the day early settlers brought them to the region for hunting in the 1870s.
This one looks so cute - standing innocently among thick pine forest - that it's hard to believe they munch and annoy to the extent that they are considered a pest.
But farmers John Wall and Angie Leckey, who tend to horses and Hereford cows on their property in the Waihaorunga Valley, remain upbeat about the marsupials that hop around their back-country farm.
A half-hour from Waimate, their land boasts honey-coloured hills perfect for postcard-type photos and their new Adventure Horse Trekking NZ Ltd business (and their home-cooking isn't bad, either).
We start our horse-trekking day with a bumper breakfast of home-killed bacon and free-range eggs and later lunch on giant slabs of roast mutton and freshly dug Jersey Bennes, John's southern hospitality having even extended to taking my husband and sons wallaby hunting the night before.
Eight legs of the lean meat rest in our chilly bin as we wave goodbye and head back to civilisation.
It is an undoubted highlight of a four-day trip to the Waimate district that turned up plenty of surprises, the region being filled with friendly folk and tourist and heritage attractions that make it perfect for a family holiday or stroll back in time.
Waimate's historic buildings might not get the press that Oamaru and Dunedin's old buildings attract, but many are absolute treasures that have been gloriously restored and maintained.
Others that would soak up some TLC are still noble inclusions in a heritage walk that boasts churches, hotels and old industrial buildings - many from the late 19th and early 20th century - that point to the optimism that filled Waimate's early days.
The town's cemeteries are also worth a wander, being the final resting place for (among notable others) former prime minister Norman Kirk and Dr Margaret Cruickshank, who was the first woman in New Zealand to go into general practice.
A statue in her honour stands in Waimate's Seddon Square.
One block back from the main street, Waimate's museum is a proud example of an old building used for public good.
Formerly the old courthouse and built in 1879, the museum houses a heart-warming mix of permanent and changing displays, including information about another episode in local history.
''Ted's bottle'' is a famous and poignant part of the nearby Waihao Forks Hotel, which has honoured the memory of a local lad with a well-cared-for exhibit.
Ted d-Auvergne had called in to the hotel before heading off to serve in World War 2 but did not open the second bottle of beer the publican at the time offered him.
''Save it until I get back,'' he said, but he was declared missing in action in 1941 and it was later discovered he had been killed in Crete.
The bottle of Ballins XXXX beer has remained behind the bar at Waihao Forks since then, now protected in a glass case with battle insignia.
Each year the Waimate RSA visits the hotel after its dawn service, observing a period of silence beside Ted's bottle.
The caring gesture points to the warmth and hospitality of all we encounter around Waimate, and we enjoy many friendly outings from our base at Kelcey's Bush Farmyard Holiday Park, which houses a small collection of animals popular with young children and is surrounded by birdsong from native birds resident in the adjacent Kelcey's Bush.
The area escaped a devastating fire that wiped out the entire sawmilling industry in the Waimate district in 1878, and has good short bush walks and swimming and picnic spots.
I enjoy the self-catering style of our accommodation.
It allows me to discover that the goat's cheese I brought from home goes exceedingly well with the strawberry and ginger jam from the town's well-known Waimate Berry Barn.
But we enjoy eating out as well, and feast on several home-made gourmet pizzas from the award-winning The Naked Chip, in Waimate.
Owner Beverley Knowles acts also as the chairwoman of Business Waimate and reminds us that ''there is more to Waimate than most people realise''.
But we've already worked that out.
We had first visited Butlers Berry Farm and Cafe, a standout in the region for its state highway berry sculpture and cooked-with-love food.
We feasted on fresh berries, berry smoothies and sundaes and berry-inspired home baking, each dish of food better than the last and an illustration of the district's reputation for producing premier fruit.
We also marvel at the grandeur of the restored Te Kiteroa Lodge and sample some of the wonderful Point Bush Wines, call in to the Waimate Knitwear Factory Shop, invest in some Cajun Andouille sausage from Havoc Pork's Waimate shop, view the famous hillside White Horse monument from afar, spy a local lavender farm and have a guided tour of the fledgling BushTown Waimate Heritage Park.
The park is intended to eventually be a major Shantytown-style attraction, telling the story of the region's bush-town history complete with new native bush plantings, an original sawmill and replica buildings.
The venture is a long-term community project backed by a committed and passionate group.
Members are already hosting monthly ''vintage'' markets at the park, open days and school trips throughout the year and other guided tours by appointment.
But no trip to Waimate would be complete without a trip to Enkledoovery Korna, the wallaby park run by local character Gwen Dempster-Schouten.
Our family of five makes an instant, unspoken agreement to not mention the weekend's wallaby hunting, and instead enjoys a close-up encounter with about 80 wallabies of mixed ages, almost all of which were hand-reared by Gwen after being handed in as orphans by local hunters.
As well as the wallabies, an indoors museum-type area at the park is filled with tales and treasures from around the district.
It's a fun morning, and Gwen's spirit and compassion add yet another warm glow to our hearts.
Economically, despite the usual ups and downs experienced by small towns, we witnessed much hope in Waimate.
As well as the BushTown development, a new 90-seat restaurant is being constructed at Point Bush Wines, a giant dairy plant is being built by Chinese interests at nearby Glenavy, plans are afoot to remodel Waimate's sports stadium and a group is exploring how to raise funds to restore the town's historic Arcadia Theatre building.
For visitors, the Waimate Information Centre caringly and efficiently oversees a busy calendar which impresses with its range and frequency of events.
The Waimate region is always a good place for fishing and mountain biking and there is a weekly farmers market for locals and visitors.
Annual events this year include the March Hare motorcycle rally and Edwardian Promenade in the Park in March, Pest Quest Hunting Competition in May, Waimate Spring Shears and Waimate 50 Street Racing in October and Waimate Strawberry Fare festival and rodeo in December.
For more information
• For a full calendar of events go to www.waimate.org.nz
• Adventure Horse Trekking NZ Ltd can be contacted at angieandjohn@farmside.co.nz
