A unique NZ heritage experience beckons....

Picture this....

Image: John Lamb

Visitors alight at an historic roadside lay-by on SH1 8 kms south of Oamaru, gateway to one of New Zealand's most significant birthplaces.

It was here in 1882 at Totara Estate that the first shipment of frozen meat for export to the other side of the world was prepared. Today that dream is a $5 billion annual reality!

Step back in time...

Image: NZHPT

Our guests are greeted by guides in period costume and transported by horse and buggy up a lane leading to imposing 19th century Oamaru stone farm buildings.

Made welcome in the old Mens' Quarters they are invited to take their seats in a small theatrette set up in the Cookhouse. Here history comes alive in a video outlining the development of the great Estate!

Living History....

Image: NZHPT

Guests are guided in small groups allowing personal interaction around the striking stone buildings. Along the way they meet historically based 19th century Estate characters, including:

• the notorious swagger Barney 'Whiterats' Winters, who regales them with one of his legendary tales
• the Estate blacksmith shoeing a working Clydesdale
• a noted ploughman and balladeer Bob Mitchell who recites one of his poems of early Station life!
• in the historic Hanging Shed a solo butcher tells of life in 1882.
  

Modern Technology Showcases Past...

Image: NZHPT

In the recently recreated Slaughterhouse, a state of the art sound & light show creates the atmosphere of the butchers 'working on the line' in 1882, and retells the story behind that first meat expedition in a new and stimulating way designed for modern generations.

... and Southern Hospitality

Back in the Cookhouse, our guests enjoy a cup of billy tea and chat with our 19th century farm characters, wander amongst displays of early New Zealand sheep breeds, browse our retail area, take a walk to the nearby Brydone monument or sit awhile and let the history sink in.

Celebrate the past through today's technology at Totara Estate... an unforgettable New Zealand heritage experience!

Tourism New Zealand Tourism New Zealand's website, Destination New Zealand, provides comprehensive information about visiting New Zealand.

For more information on what to see and do in the area, visit Tourism Waitaki's website www.tourismwaitaki.co.nz