Omarama
Encyclopedia
Omarama is a small township (population 231 at 2006 census) at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83
, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin
, in the South Island
of New Zealand
. Omarama is in the Waitaki District
, in the historic Province of Otago. The Ahuriri River
is a short distance to the north of the township.
Omarama is primarily a rural service centre, providing local farmers and other residents with necessities and facilities such as grocery shopping, fuel and mechanical services, as well as a post shop.
In more recent years these and similar services have expanded moderately, due to the increase in new residents and visitors, including anglers, artists, astronomers, sailplane enthusiasts, skiers and general tourists.
Services and facilities for backpackers
alone have greatly expanded, with numerous hostels, lodges and homestays within the village and in the surrounding countryside.
A significant proportion of permanent village residents are employees of (or contractors to) Meridian Energy Limited
, a State-Owned Enterprise which is responsible for much of New Zealand's hydroelectricity generation.
Omarama is Māori
for "Place of Light", a reference to its extraordinarily pure and clear sky, which also makes it of great interest to astronomers. Benmore Peak Observatory is located approximately 13 km north of Omarama, atop the nearby Benmore Range
.
is a noted fly-fishing river and adjacent Lake Benmore
and Lake Ohau
are popular with boaters, as well as fly casters and other anglers.
Commercial fishing guides and related services are available within the village and surrounding area.
Commonly encountered local fish species include salmon
, and Brown
and Rainbow trout
.
, have rapidly converted to predominantly dairy farming, due to falling sheep meat and wool prices, and the recent boom in dairy product earnings.
This conversion has necessitated major changes to the local environment, with iconic tussock
lands being ploughed and replaced by pasture
, which has been facilitated by new irrigation
schemes. Large centre pivot irrigators
and private canal
networks now dominate much of the landscape.
Recently however, diminishing returns on dairy-based agriculture
have led to farmers investigating alternative methods and practices, some now experimenting with biofuel
crops.
Due to its immense value and long history, farming and agriculture is likely to continue as the area's predominant activity for the foreseeable future.
, it is known as a world-class gliding
location, gaining fame among sailplane pilots around the world after hosting the 1995 World Gliding Championships
.
Pilots come to Omarama to experience strong lee wave conditions, ridge soaring and thermal flying. It is common for Omarama-based gliders to soar hundreds of kilometers along the Southern Alps each day.
In ideal conditions, it is possible for gliders to reach distances in excess of 1000 km. Several national and world gliding records have been achieved from Omarama, and the prevailing conditions have attracted record seekers such as Steve Fossett
.
The Omarama Gliding Club and several commercial gliding organizations are based in Omarama and provide glider training, towing and trial flights to club members, visiting sailplane pilots, and the public.
, Round Hill
, and Mount Dobson
.
Additionally, larger skifields in the vicinity of Wanaka
and Queenstown
are within a day's return drive of Omarama.
Omarama will be on the route of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail
, to be constructed in the following years after approval in 2010.
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin
Mackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin , is an elliptical intermontane basin, located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest such basin in New Zealand...
, in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Omarama is in the Waitaki District
Waitaki District
The Waitaki district, in the Canterbury and Otago regions of New Zealand, straddles the traditional border between the two regions, the Waitaki River. It has a land area of 7,151.94 km² , divided 59.28% to Canterbury Region and 40.72% to Otago Region. It is the only district on the South...
, in the historic Province of Otago. The Ahuriri River
Ahuriri River
The Ahuriri River is a river in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.The headwaters are on the eastern flanks of the Southern Alps. The river flows for 70 kilometres through the southernmost part of the Mackenzie Basin before reaching the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore, one of the...
is a short distance to the north of the township.
Omarama is primarily a rural service centre, providing local farmers and other residents with necessities and facilities such as grocery shopping, fuel and mechanical services, as well as a post shop.
In more recent years these and similar services have expanded moderately, due to the increase in new residents and visitors, including anglers, artists, astronomers, sailplane enthusiasts, skiers and general tourists.
Services and facilities for backpackers
Backpacking (travel)
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used...
alone have greatly expanded, with numerous hostels, lodges and homestays within the village and in the surrounding countryside.
A significant proportion of permanent village residents are employees of (or contractors to) Meridian Energy Limited
Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...
, a State-Owned Enterprise which is responsible for much of New Zealand's hydroelectricity generation.
Omarama is Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
for "Place of Light", a reference to its extraordinarily pure and clear sky, which also makes it of great interest to astronomers. Benmore Peak Observatory is located approximately 13 km north of Omarama, atop the nearby Benmore Range
Benmore Peak
Benmore Peak is the highest point of the Benmore Range, an island range located in the southern half of the Mackenzie Basin, South Island, New Zealand....
.
Angling
There are many rivers and lakes in and near Omarama suitable for recreational fishing. The nearby Ahuriri RiverAhuriri River
The Ahuriri River is a river in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.The headwaters are on the eastern flanks of the Southern Alps. The river flows for 70 kilometres through the southernmost part of the Mackenzie Basin before reaching the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore, one of the...
is a noted fly-fishing river and adjacent Lake Benmore
Lake Benmore
Lake Benmore is a lake located in the South Island of New Zealand. It was artificially created in the 1960s by construction of Benmore Dam. The lake covers an area of approximately 75 km²...
and Lake Ohau
Lake Ohau
Lake Ohau is a glacial lake in the Mackenzie Basin of New Zealand's South Island. It is fed by the Hopkins and Dobson rivers, which have their headwaters in the Southern Alps, and has its outflow in the Ohau River, which itself feeds into the Waitaki River hydroelectric project.Ohau is the smallest...
are popular with boaters, as well as fly casters and other anglers.
Commercial fishing guides and related services are available within the village and surrounding area.
Commonly encountered local fish species include salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, and Brown
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
.
Agriculture
Although traditionally sheep country, Omarama area farms, along with those within the rest of the Mackenzie BasinMackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin , is an elliptical intermontane basin, located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest such basin in New Zealand...
, have rapidly converted to predominantly dairy farming, due to falling sheep meat and wool prices, and the recent boom in dairy product earnings.
This conversion has necessitated major changes to the local environment, with iconic tussock
Tussock
Tussock most often refers to a small hillock of grassy, or grass-like plant growth, but may also refer to Plants and ecology, Insects.- Plants and ecology :*Tussock *New Zealand tussock grasslands*Serrated Tussock...
lands being ploughed and replaced by pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
, which has been facilitated by new irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
schemes. Large centre pivot irrigators
Center pivot irrigation
Center-pivot irrigation , also called circle irrigation, is a method of crop irrigation in which equipment rotates around a pivot...
and private canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
networks now dominate much of the landscape.
Recently however, diminishing returns on dairy-based agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
have led to farmers investigating alternative methods and practices, some now experimenting with biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
crops.
Due to its immense value and long history, farming and agriculture is likely to continue as the area's predominant activity for the foreseeable future.
Gliding
Due to the strong gliding conditions and spectacular scenery in the Omarama area, as well as the entire Mackenzie BasinMackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin , is an elliptical intermontane basin, located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest such basin in New Zealand...
, it is known as a world-class gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
location, gaining fame among sailplane pilots around the world after hosting the 1995 World Gliding Championships
World Gliding Championships
The World Gliding Championships is a gliding competition held every two years or so by the FAI Gliding Commission. The dates are not always exactly two years apart, often because the contests are sometimes held in the summer in the Southern Hemisphere....
.
Pilots come to Omarama to experience strong lee wave conditions, ridge soaring and thermal flying. It is common for Omarama-based gliders to soar hundreds of kilometers along the Southern Alps each day.
In ideal conditions, it is possible for gliders to reach distances in excess of 1000 km. Several national and world gliding records have been achieved from Omarama, and the prevailing conditions have attracted record seekers such as Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
.
The Omarama Gliding Club and several commercial gliding organizations are based in Omarama and provide glider training, towing and trial flights to club members, visiting sailplane pilots, and the public.
Snow sports
There are three skifields within the MacKenzie Basin; OhauOhau (skifield)
Ohau is a small commercial skifield in the foothills of New Zealand's Southern Alps, near the boundary between the Otago and Canterbury regions, and close to the southwestern shore of the lake of the same name.- Details :...
, Round Hill
Roundhill Ski Area
Roundhill Ski Area is a family run skifield in Canterbury, New Zealand, near the town of Tekapo, 3 hours from both Christchurch and Queenstown....
, and Mount Dobson
Mount Dobson
Mount Dobson is a ski resort in the South Island of New Zealand. Located 2.25 hours from Christchurch and 3 hours from Queenstown, it claims an easy access road, the highest car park of any ski resort in New Zealand, and the earliest start to the season in 2006. It features a chair lift, a T-bar...
.
Additionally, larger skifields in the vicinity of Wanaka
Wanaka
Wanaka is a town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, adjacent to the outflow of the lake to the Clutha River. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is primarily a resort town but has both summer and winter...
and Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
are within a day's return drive of Omarama.
Other attractions
Omarama is a popular holiday destination amongst those living in surrounding districts and provinces, many owning family holiday residences within the village. Tramping is also popular with locals and visitors alike, due to the spectacular and often rugged landscape. Due to the spectacular scenery, numerous artists regularly visit the Omarama area, and several are now permanent residents, exhibiting their Omarama and Mackenzie landscapes and other work in local galleries and further afield.Omarama will be on the route of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail
Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail
The Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail is a cycle trail funded as one of the projects of the New Zealand Cycle Trail system in Otago and Canterbury, New Zealand...
, to be constructed in the following years after approval in 2010.