Two types of people go to Oamaru: those who live there, and those who want to see penguins. My traveling circus runs itself as a quasi-democracy, with the kids getting at least a partial vote, so it hardly came as a surprise that during our extended engagement in New Zealand, these adorable little birds earned themselves a place of honor on our bucket list.
New Zealand is actually home to three types of penguins, but we were focused on the smallest. The korora, or little blue penguin, ventures the furthest north, so naturally they’re the most commonly seen. These noisy little birds spend their days at sea, only coming ashore at night, and you’re much more likely to hear them than to see them. But as cute as they are, many coastal residents view them as pests since the birds have a way of establishing their nests beneath raised beach houses. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to discover that little blue penguins have set up shop directly underneath their bedrooms, kicking off a months-long nesting party and leaving behind piles of dead fish.
But since kids don’t buy houses, in their eyes these cute birds couldn’t possibly be seen as a nuisance, which is how we came to find ourselves loading up the van and heading south towards Otago. It was an all-day drive through the middle of nowhere, so we were exhausted but grateful when we checked into the finest accommodations in town, the Northstar Oamaru Best Western. Rising just after sunrise the next day, excited beyond words, we were ready to head down to the water’s edge to watch the penguins make their way ashore. The only problem was, our overpriced admission tickets weren’t valid until six o’clock that evening— which meant that we had exactly twelve hours to kill until these nocturnal birds would make an appearance.
After the finest breakfast in town— McDonald’s— we gamely headed into the city center to search for a diversion, but unfortunately there just wasn’t much going on. Yes, the free parking was a nice touch, and yes, the gift shops had a lovely selection of penguin postcards, but apart from that, there really wasn’t a whole lot to do. In fact, I almost found myself second-guessing the decision to bring our circus train so far south… at least until we crossed the train tracks onto Humber Street. As soon as I spied that retro-fitted, fire-breathing steam engine rising up into flight at a surreal angle, though, I knew that we’d stumbled across something really special:
Steampunk HQ was founded in 2011 by a group of creative minds— Don Patterson, Jac Grenfell, and Brian de Geest. The trio was passionate about steampunk fiction, which if you weren’t aware, is a broad subgenre of science fiction that incorporates the technology and aesthetics of 19th-century industrial technology. The three friends were seeking a way to publicly showcase their unique creations, and they felt that downtown Oamaru’s period Victorian architecture was the perfect setting.
The fact that such a place even existed was justification enough for the ten dollar admission fee, but as it turned out, both our time and our money were well spent. The retrofitted grain elevator made for a super cool museum, with all of the industrial artwork created from recycled and reclaimed materials in an unusual display of creativity. Between the dim lighting and the creepy loop audio on, it almost felt as if we’d been transported through a portal into some alternate dimension. And yes, there was even a steampunk-themed gift shop conveniently located near the exit.
Even after taking time to see all the sculptures twice, we were still left with a few more hours before dusk. In wandering around town, it was easy to see just how much of an impact that Steampunk HQ had cast on Oamaru. In the nearby historic district, at least, there were a number of shops selling steampunk-themed gifts and handmade Victorian crafts. More impressively, there were even a few photography studios and costume rental kiosks, so visitors could live out their own steampunk fantasies for a few hours. We learned that every year in June, over the Queen’s Birthday holiday, the local Victorian League of Imagineers even hosts an annual Steampunk Festival. And in 2016, since nowhere else had laid claim to the title yet, Oamaru officially became known as the Steampunk Capital of the World.
We’d seen a lot, so I had a great deal to mull over as we sat quietly in the grandstands, patiently waiting for the sun to set and the little blue penguins to come in from the sea. Those birds arrived right on schedule, and I guess it was pretty cool to see those noisy creatures up close, with built-in infrareds spotlighting them as they waddled past. And even though those birds made quite a stir, after that particular day’s sightseeing, I couldn’t help comparing their racket to the roars of a demonic locomotive engine.
After the birds had all made it safely back to the colony, and the crowd of tourists was cleared to exit over the boardwalks, I’d fully made up my mind. Yes, those penguins might have been the reason we’d come, and yes, they would probably always remain Oamaru’s biggest draw, but for me, at least, Steampunk HQ was just a shade cooler.
