Otautau

Otautau combines local history with experiences that can shape a stay in very different ways: the Otautau Museum is housed in the former courthouse, and at Otautau Orchard you can pick blueberries straight from the fields for a limited time in January and February. The town’s distinctive features also include a gallery in a former Methodist church, the Aparima River in Otautau Recreation Reserve and a hilly nine-hole golf course. When choosing your holiday rental, you can therefore consider whether history, art, berries or golf are particularly important to your trip.

Otautau’s courthouse and history

The former courthouse houses the Otautau Museum and is classified as a Category II historic place. It served as a courthouse for more than sixty years; today, it is also an important part of Otautau’s historic streetscape. Its long use as a courthouse and its current function as a museum offer two different perspectives on the same building: it is part of the town’s history and also a place for exhibitions and presentations that provide insights into the past.

The Otautau Museum Trust aims to plan, establish, maintain and operate a public museum and archive in Otautau and the surrounding districts. The beginnings of European settlement can also be linked to a specific journey: Otautau began as a resting and camping place on the route from Riverton inland and onward to the Lakes District. The town also lay on a route between the south coast and Te Anau. The Māori name Otautau is associated with the confluence of the Aparima River and Otautau Stream.

Blueberries at Otautau Orchard

If you would like to combine your stay with a seasonal activity, Otautau Orchard offers a specific opportunity: for a limited time in January and February, visitors can pick fresh blueberries straight from the fields. Before picking, they park and register at the entrance to the Orchard Shop or the pick-your-own area. This is part of the visit and gives you a clear first point of reference before you start picking.

At the farm shop, pre-picked berries are available in 1 kg units, while stocks last. This is an alternative to picking berries in the fields: you can either include self-picking in your visit or choose pre-picked berries from the shop.

Gallery, river and golf

The Otautau Gallery is located in a former Methodist church on the main street. This makes another place with a former religious function part of Otautau’s cultural landscape. The gallery has a special connection with artist Lynnley Driver, a well-known South Island artist: it has an arrangement with her for portraits of beloved dogs.

Golf enthusiasts will find a nine-hole course in Otautau run by the Otautau Golf Club. The course is hilly. These two features give you a concrete idea of what is on offer without requiring you to infer a particular playing time or level of difficulty. The Aparima River flows through Otautau Recreation Reserve, adding a landscape feature to the options. Together, these different attractions show that a stay can be centred on cultural interests, golf or the blueberry harvest.

The museum and gallery appeal to travellers interested in history and art; the orchard and golf offer other points of focus. A holiday rental in Otautau is worth considering if you want to plan your stay around the town and the activities described here.

If you would like to discover other places, you can find Papatotara, Lumsden, Winton, Mossburn, Te Anau, Dipton, Niagara and The Key here.

For the broader travel overview: Southland District.