Typical North Otago landscape, looking north from near Herbert

The town of Oamaru, North Otago's principal settlement

The district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of Omarama (which has experienced rapid growth as a developing centre for astronomy and for gliding). The large east-coast town of Oamaru serves as North Otago's main centre. The Kakanui Mountains form the principal cordillera. Prominent rivers include the Shag, the Waianakarua, the Kakanui and the Waitaki. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (850x400, 81 KB)Typical North Otago landscape, north of Herbert, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (850x400, 81 KB)Typical North Otago landscape, north of Herbert, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The small town of Herbert lies in North Otago, New Zealand, almost 100 kilometres to the north of Dunedin and 22 kilometres to the south of Oamaru. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1134x510, 124 KB)View of Oamaru, New Zealand, from above the southern end of the town (photo taken by James Dignan, July 2005) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1134x510, 124 KB)View of Oamaru, New Zealand, from above the southern end of the town (photo taken by James Dignan, July 2005) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this...   pronunciation? serves as the principal centre of North Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Otago  pronunciation? is one of the regions of New Zealand and lies in the south-east of the South Island. ... The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. ... An aerial view of Omarama Omarama is a small township (population <400) at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island of New Zealand. ... In ancient Greece and other early civilizations, astronomy consisted largely of astrometry, measuring positions of stars and planets in the sky. ... A modern glider crossing the finish line at speed. ...   pronunciation? serves as the principal centre of North Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. ... The Shag River is located in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. ... The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. ...

Other towns and settlements in the region include Alma, Maheno, Kakanui, Herbert (also known as Otepopo), Waianakarua, Hampden, and Moeraki, all close to the coast south of Oamaru. The small town of Kakanui is located on the coast of Otago, in New Zealand, ten kilometres to the south of Oamaru. ... The small town of Herbert lies in North Otago, New Zealand, almost 100 kilometres to the north of Dunedin and 22 kilometres to the south of Oamaru. ... Hampden is the name of a township in North Otago, New Zealand. ...

The coastal plain north of Oamaru has the settlements of Hilderthorpe and Pukeuri.

Inland we find Weston, Ardgowan, Windsor, Five Forks, Peebles, Papakaio, Duntroon, Kurow (on the south bank of the Waitaki), Omarama, and Otematata. Kurow is a town in the Waitaki Valley in the South Island of New Zealand. ... An aerial view of Omarama Omarama is a small township (population <400) at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island of New Zealand. ...

The area aspired to provincial status in the 19th century, but never attained this. Most of its territory belonged to the Waitaki County, and subsequently to the Waitaki District Council. Some sense of regional identity survives in support of sport, notably the North Otago rugby team. In recent years repeated suggestions that the towns of Omarama and Kurow should become part of Canterbury have tested this sense of identity. (For the current top-level subdivision of New Zealand, see Regions of New Zealand) Provinces in New Zealand were used from 1841 until the Abolition of the Provinces Act came into force on November 1, 1876. ... The New Zealand region of Canterbury mostly comprises the Canterbury Plains. ...

The rolling, tussock-clad hill country of North Otago provides the important agricultural base, particularly through sheep-farming. The generation of hydro-electricity in the Waitaki Valley has also drawn attention to the area (see Project Aqua), and tourism has grown in recent years. Tussock may refer to a clump of a grass or the tuft of hairs on certain moths. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... Project Aqua was a proposed hydroelectric scheme for the lower Waitaki River in New Zealand. ...

External links

• Benmore Peak Observatory website
• Omarama Gliding Club website
• World Altitude Record Attempt website
• Omarama Weather Station webpage
• Glideorama: Gavin Wills' Mountain Soaring School website