Daily Photo – Oamaru – Victorian Precinct

There are towns you pass through and towns you wander into by accident, only to realise you have somehow stepped sideways in time. Oamaru is firmly in the second category. I arrived with the morning sun spilling across the harbour, casting long shadows from the old rail lines and turning the limestone buildings a creamy gold.

Walking through the Victorian Precinct felt oddly theatrical, like the locals might suddenly break into a dress rehearsal for something involving steam engines, goggles and elaborate hats. The old railway station and its simple wooden sign seemed frozen in a moment that refused to modernise. I stood there for a while, taking photos, noticing the way the gravel track curved gently toward the past.