From quiet seaside town to tourist destination - Oamaru is on the map. With myriad activities available in the Waitaki district, new businesses coming, and existing businesses expanding, it is an exciting time for the North Otago town. Rebecca Ryan investigates.
Tourists are no longer asking ''Oamaru? Where's that?'' Instead, Oamaru and the Waitaki District are firmly on their itineraries.
Oamaru has always had a good base to work from and community commitment to see the town prosper over the past 10 years is starting to really pay dividends.
Some tourism operators are reporting increases in visitor numbers of between 10% and 50%, compared with the corresponding period 12 months ago.
''It's been a case that Oamaru has so much potential and developments over the last 10 years are coming to fruition,'' Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said.
The district had featured in several high-profile international media outlets.
Notably, it was named New Zealand's ''coolest'' town by Lonely Planet, an accolade that would bring publicity for the region, Mr Kircher said.
Traditionally, Oamaru residents leave town over the Christmas and New Year period - most to the Waitaki lakes and Central Otago - but Mr Kircher said it was an exciting time to stay in the North Otago town.
''It's actually really cool being in town to see people around town, to see how they are enjoying it. It has been a long-term plan to get more people to come here and stay longer and that's what we're starting to see.''
Steampunk HQ manager Philina Den Dulk said the attraction's business during the holiday period was up about 50% on the corresponding period last year.
''Madness. It's been really busy, way up on last year ... It's just amazing,'' she said.
Most were domestic visitors, she said.
''They are in love with Oamaru and saying, if they could get a job here, they'd move here.''
The Oamaru Steam and Rail Society was running tours drawn by its B10 engine around the Victorian District, from Harbourside Station to the Penguin Colony, every day over the new year period.
The society's major annual fundraising effort had contributed to the buzz in the area, and passenger numbers, both locals and tourists, were strong.
Pen-y-bryn Lodge owner and Waitaki Tourism Association board member James Glucksman said the lodge had been four times busier than the previous year.
''We're pretty much as busy as we've ever been.''
''Oamaru seems to be getting more and more coverage in travel media and magazines ... that seems to help.''
The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony has experienced a very strong start to the summer season, reporting a 10% growth over the previous year and an increase in day tours.
On New Year's Eve, close to 500 people visited the Oamaru i-Site - more than double the numbers through the doors on an average mid-December day.
Tourism Waitaki marketing manager Ian Elliott said i-Site visitor numbers had continued to be strong in the new year.
Mr Elliott said the increasing number of tourists in the district could be due to a unified and consistent promotional push of the district, and the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
Tourism Waitaki had also been working closely with Tourism New Zealand and the Tourism Export Council.
''It's obvious that there's a lot of international people in the Precinct and around town,'' he said.
''Awareness within the tourism industry has gone up quite a lot and we really need to keep charging along ... because we've got a lot going on.''
In order to obtain maximum exposure, Tourism Waitaki had teamed up with its international marketing alliance partners, Dunedin and Southland, to offer a more cohesive approach and understanding of how best to travel in the lower part of the South Island, particularly along the Southern coastline.
''Planning for 2015 involves more of all of that - working with tourism partners, trade-strengthening, events and trying to really market the Alps 2 Ocean,'' he said.
With so many visitors and predictions of continued growth, Tourism Waitaki is looking at how to work with local businesses to make sure they cope and considering what extra services can be provided, especially for cyclists.
About 99% of guest nights nationally were still spent outside the Waitaki District,'' Mr Elliott said.
''Even a small shift in that would be huge,'' he said.
