Scroll down for Accommodation, Food & Refreshments and Things To Do

Omakau pretty much owes its existence to a decision by the Otago Central Railway designers not to put the government to the expense of building a bridge to take the line across the Manukerikia River to Ophir, then the main population centre in the Manuherikia Valley.

In 1904 the line reached what is now Omakau, a township of some 400 hundred offering Rail Trailers a range of accommodation and food and refreshment options. Omakau is a great step off point to visit historic Ophir, 2km away, or for the more fit and enthusiastic, to make a side trip to the Matakanui ghost town and gold diggings.

The station site is now empty looking, but records suggest that at times it was New Zealand’s busiest stock loading station. In 1962 alone, Omakau handled 119,736 head of stock.

Omakau – Lauder

• 9km separates Omakau from Lauder
• The trail is relatively flat, passing through productive farmland of the Manuherikia Valley.
  

Omakau – Chatto Creek

• 11.5km separates Omakau from Chatto Creek.
• Tiger Hill Gangers’ Shed… one of 12 gangers’ sheds along the Rail Trail housing information panels. These sheds are identified with an ‘i’ on the map in the Official Rail Trail Passport.
  
  

It was all go at the Omakau Station stockyards in 1960. In the background is the goods shed, the only one in the South Island to have a chimney and fireplace. Photo: NZ Railways Publicity	Local identity 'Junk Shop Mike' talks with a Rail Trailer outside his treasure trove of everything second hand imaginable and quite probably, items you'd never imagine. Mike also creates amazing metal art.

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