Omarama

Omarama is described as a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand, and covers {{Convert|8.30|km2||abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Web Application|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f49867abe464f86ac7526552fe19787|access-date=25 November 2021|website=statsnz.maps.arcgis.com}} It had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2018|Omarama|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2018|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Omarama|y}}|R}}/8.30|0}} people per km². It is part of the larger Aviemore statistical area.

{{Historical populations|2006|231|2013|270|2018|291|percentages=pagr|align=left|title=Historical population for Omarama|source=}}

Omarama had a population of 291 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 21 people (7.8%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 60 people (26.0%) since the 2006 census. There were 111 households, comprising 147 males and 144 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female, with 27 people (9.3%) aged under 15 years, 54 (18.6%) aged 15 to 29, 147 (50.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 66 (22.7%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 78.4% European/Pākehā, 4.1% Māori, 14.4% Asian, and 4.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.6% had no religion, 30.9% were Christian, 2.1% were Hindu, 1.0% were Buddhist and 1.0% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 39 (14.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 42 (15.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 42 people (15.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 159 (60.2%) people were employed full-time, and 42 (15.9%) were part-time.{{NZ census 2018|7027642 and 7027643}}

The Aviemore statistical area, which also includes Otematata, covers {{Convert|3483.90|km2||abbr=on}} and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Aviemore|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Aviemore|y}}|R}}/3483.90|2}} people per km².

{{Historical populations|2006|669|2013|702|2018|765|percentages=pagr|align=left|title=Historical population for Aviemore|source=}}

Aviemore had a population of 765 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 63 people (9.0%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 96 people (14.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 324 households, comprising 411 males and 357 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.15 males per female. The median age was 46.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 99 people (12.9%) aged under 15 years, 138 (18.0%) aged 15 to 29, 360 (47.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 168 (22.0%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 86.7% European/Pākehā, 5.5% Māori, 0.8% Pasifika, 8.6% Asian, and 3.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 20.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.7% had no religion, 36.9% were Christian, 2.0% were Hindu, 1.2% were Buddhist and 0.8% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 90 (13.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 105 (15.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $34,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 93 people (14.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 411 (61.7%) people were employed full-time, 93 (14.0%) were part-time, and 3 (0.5%) were unemployed.{{NZ census 2018|Aviemore (343100)|aviemore|Aviemore}}

The Omarama area had numerous important food sources ({{lang|mi|kāinga mahinga kai}}) for the Ngāi Tahu Māori {{lang|mi|iwi}} (tribe) in what would later be named the Mackenzie Basin.

The first European to visit Omarama was Walter Mantell, in December 1852. European settlement began in 1857 with the establishment of the Benmore and Ben Ohau stations.{{Cite book|last=McMillan|first=Eileen|title=Frugal country and hard on the boots : a history of the Lake Ohau valley|year=2021|location=Twizel|pages=421|publisher=Eileen McMillan}}

In 1877, Hipa Te Maihāroa with over 100 supporters travelled up the Waitaki River to Omarama and camped there to reaffirm the Ngāi Tahu claim to the interior of the South Island. This led to numerous visits from the government and Ngāi Tahu leaders. In 1879, they were evicted by an armed constabulary. Te Maiharoa and his followers then moved to the mouth of the Waitaki River.{{Cite web|title=Atlas — Cultural Mapping Project — Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu|url=https://www.kahurumanu.co.nz/atlas|access-date=2021-01-01|website=www.kahurumanu.co.nz}}

File:Omarama Ram & Sign.JPG

Although traditionally sheep country, Omarama area farms, along with those within the rest of the Mackenzie Basin, have rapidly converted to predominantly dairy farming, due to falling sheep meat and wool prices, and the recent boom in dairy product earnings.

The dairy conversion has made major changes to the local environment, with iconic tussock lands being ploughed and replaced by pasture, facilitated by new irrigation schemes. Large centre pivot irrigators and private canal networks now dominate much of the landscape.{{cite news|last1=Rae|first1=Sally|title=From backwater to water 'battleground'|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=11773781|access-date=9 April 2017|work=The New Zealand Herald |date=28 December 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Tatham|first1=Helem|title=Benmore Irrigation Company shareholders 'hugely disappointed' by decision against resource consent|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/87295984/Benmore-Irrigation-Company-shareholders-hugely-disappointed-by-decison-against-resource-consent|access-date=9 April 2017|work=Stuff.co.nz|date=7 December 2016}}

Recently however, diminishing returns on dairy-based agriculture have led to farmers investigating alternative methods and practices, some now experimenting with biofuel crops.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

There are many rivers and lakes in and near Omarama suitable for recreational fishing. The nearby Ahuriri River is a noted fly-fishing river[http://www.flyfishingguides.co.nz/Mt-Cook-Fly-Fishing/The-Rivers.php Two of the Best Fly Fishing Rivers in the World] and adjacent Lake Benmore and Lake Ōhau are popular with boaters, as well as fly casters and other anglers.

Commonly encountered local fish species include salmon, and brown and rainbow trout.

Omarama is home of the annual mid winter star party. Local street lighting and other light sources are dimmed or switched off for the duration of the event.

Benmore Peak Observatory is located approximately 13 km north of Omarama, atop the nearby Benmore Range.

File:Omarama Fallstreak.jpg visible over Omarama, in May 2006]]

Due to the strong gliding conditions in the Omarama area, and Mackenzie Basin, it is known as a world-class gliding location, gaining fame among sailplane pilots around the world after hosting the 1995 World Gliding Championships.

Pilots come to Omarama to experience strong lee wave conditions, ridge soaring and thermal flying. It is common for Omarama-based gliders to soar hundreds of kilometres along the Southern Alps each day. In ideal conditions, it is possible for gliders to reach distances in excess of 2000 km. Several national and world gliding records have been achieved from Omarama,{{cite news|last1=Tollan|first1=Jeff|title=Gliding on to a world record|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3155973/Gliding-on-to-a-world-record|access-date=9 April 2017|work=STUFF|date=14 December 2009}} and the prevailing conditions have attracted record seekers such as Steve Fossett.{{cite web|last1=Taylor|first1=Marty|title=Updraft|url=https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/updraft/|website=New Zealand Geographic|access-date=9 April 2017}}

The Omarama Gliding Club and several commercial gliding organisations are based in the town.

There are three skifields within the MacKenzie Basin; Ōhau, Round Hill, and Mount Dobson.

Omarama is on the route of the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail,{{cite web|title=Welcome to New Zealand's Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail|url=http://www.alps2ocean.com/|access-date=9 April 2017|publisher=alps2ocean.com}} after the trail was constructed following approval in 2010. File:Clay Cliffs (14240049260).jpg

Omarama is a popular holiday destination amongst those living in surrounding districts and provinces, many owning family holiday residences within the village. Tramping is also popular with locals and visitors alike, due to the spectacular and often rugged landscape. Due to the spectacular scenery, numerous artists regularly visit the Omarama area, and several are now permanent residents, exhibiting their Omarama and Mackenzie landscapes and other work in local galleries and further afield.{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

Omarama School was first built on Buscot Station in the 1930s. It was moved to its present site on State Highway 8 in Omarama during the 1940s. As a result of people moving to work at the local hydro electricity development, Omarama School increased in size to a four-teacher school in the late 1980s. Today, 2.5 FTE of teachers teach at the school and its catchment area serves Omarama and a wide area of the Upper Waitaki high country. Omarama School caters for new entrants to Year 8 children with two classrooms, a school library and a covered solar heated pool on a 11938 square metre site.{{Cite web|title=Omarama School - About Us|url=https://sites.google.com/omarama.school.nz/omarama-school/about-us|access-date=2020-09-17|website=sites.google.com|language=en-US}}{{TKI|3789|Omarama School}} Omarama School has a roll of {{NZ school roll data|3789|y}} students as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|y||.}}

Omarama is part of the Waitaki Electorate.{{Cite web|title=Waitaki: Households - New Zealand Parliament|url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/mps-and-electorates/historical-electorate-profiles/electorate-profiles-data/document/DBHOH_Lib_EP_Waitaki_Households/waitaki-households|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.parliament.nz|language=en}} The Waitaki District Council provide local government services to Omarama.{{Cite web|title=Home - Waitaki District Council|url=https://www.waitaki.govt.nz:443/Pages/default.aspx|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.waitaki.govt.nz|language=en-NZ}} In 2020, the Waitaki District Council published a masterplan for developing Omarama.{{Cite web|title=Omarama Masterplan 2020|url=https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/our-council/plans-reports-strategies/plansandreports/Documents/Other_plans/Omarama%20Masterplan%202020.pdf|access-date=13 October 2020|website=www.waitaki.govt.nz}}

In his novel The Zombie Survival Guide, Max Brooks of World War Z fame makes reference to Omarama as site of a historical zombie attack.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

Disney's movie Mulan released in 2020 was partially filmed at the Omarama Clay Cliffs.{{Cite news|title=NZ director's film Mulan released on Disney Plus bypassing cinemas|language=en|work=Newshub|url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2020/09/nz-director-s-film-mulan-released-on-disney-plus-bypassing-cinemas.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918162309/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2020/09/nz-director-s-film-mulan-released-on-disney-plus-bypassing-cinemas.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 September 2020|access-date=2020-09-15}}

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Omarama (Tara Hills), elevation {{convert|485|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present)

| Jan record high C = 34.9

| Feb record high C = 34.1

| Mar record high C = 32.1

| Apr record high C = 27.2

| May record high C = 22.7

| Jun record high C = 17.9

| Jul record high C = 16.8

| Aug record high C = 21.6

| Sep record high C = 24.7

| Oct record high C = 28.2

| Nov record high C = 29.9

| Dec record high C = 32.3

| year record high C = 34.9

|Jan high C = 23.4

|Feb high C = 23.5

|Mar high C = 20.6

|Apr high C = 16.2

|May high C = 12.1

|Jun high C = 8.1

|Jul high C = 7.5

|Aug high C = 10.3

|Sep high C = 13.7

|Oct high C = 16.4

|Nov high C = 18.8

|Dec high C = 21.5

| year high C =

|Jan mean C = 16.3

|Feb mean C = 16.0

|Mar mean C = 13.5

|Apr mean C = 9.8

|May mean C = 6.5

|Jun mean C = 3.0

|Jul mean C = 2.4

|Aug mean C = 4.8

|Sep mean C = 7.5

|Oct mean C = 9.9

|Nov mean C = 12.1

|Dec mean C = 14.7

| year mean C =

|Jan low C = 9.2

|Feb low C = 8.6

|Mar low C = 6.4

|Apr low C = 3.3

|May low C = 0.9

|Jun low C = -2.1

|Jul low C = -2.8

|Aug low C = -0.8

|Sep low C = 1.3

|Oct low C = 3.5

|Nov low C = 5.4

|Dec low C = 7.8

| year low C =

|Jan record low C = -0.8

|Feb record low C = -2.6

|Mar record low C = -4.1

|Apr record low C = -6.3

|May record low C = -10.8

|Jun record low C = -21.0

|Jul record low C = -17.9

|Aug record low C = -11.6

|Sep record low C = -8.2

|Oct record low C = -6.8

|Nov record low C = -4.7

|Dec record low C = -2.3

|year record low C = -21.0

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 44.9

|Feb rain mm = 38.4

|Mar rain mm = 35.9

|Apr rain mm = 34.8

|May rain mm = 44.9

|Jun rain mm = 38.1

|Jul rain mm = 39.1

|Aug rain mm = 34.7

|Sep rain mm = 37.7

|Oct rain mm = 41.8

|Nov rain mm = 45.5

|Dec rain mm = 54.4

|year rain mm =

|source 1 = CliFlo

{{cite web

|url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz

|title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Tara Hills Aws

|publisher = NIWA

|access-date = 10 May 2024}}{{cite web

|url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/

|title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 5211, 5212)

|publisher = NIWA

|access-date = 20 Jul 2024 }}

}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.omarama.com/ Omarama Gliding Club ]
• [http://www.omaramagazette.nz/ Omarama News and Events – Omarama Gazette]
• [http://www.perlanproject.com/ Gliding World altitude record attempt]
• [http://www.discoveromarama.co.nz Discover Omarama]
• [http://www.observatory.org.nz/ Benmore Peak Observatory]

{{Waitaki District, New Zealand}}

Category:Waitaki District

Category:Populated places in the Canterbury Region