Omakau
| Omakau | ||
| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 45 ° 6 ′ S , 169 ° 36 ′ E | |
| Region ISO | NZ-OTA | |
| Country |
 New Zealand
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| region | Otago | |
| District | Central Otago District | |
| Ward | Earnscleugh - Manuherikia Ward | |
| Residents | few | |
| height | 306 m | |
| Post Code | 9393 | |
| Telephone code | +64 (0) 3 | |
| Photography of the place | ||
 Former bank building in Omakau |
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Omakau is a place in the Central Otago District of the Otago regionon the South Island of New Zealand .
geography
Omakau is located around 23 km northeast of Alexandra on the north bank of the Manuherikia River . The New Zealand State Highway 85 and the Otago Central Rail Trail, also known as " The Pigroot ", run through the settlement .
history
Besides the gold rush in Otago, Omakau owes its existence to a not inconsiderable degree to the Otago Central Railway . When the railway line was extended from Ranfurly to Clyde at the beginning of the 20th century , a decision was made against building a bridge over the Manuherikia River for cost reasons in order to set up a stop in the nearby, then larger town of Ophir . Instead, a train station was built in Omakau , which led to a significant increase in the population.
The railroad reached the settlement in 1904 and connected it to the New Zealand rail network until the line was closed in 1990 . Today the Otago Central Rail Trail , which runs on the former railway line, crosses the town. Some old buildings are reminiscent of the time of the gold rush, but they are much more present in the cityscape of Ophir .
Web links
- Omakau . Central Otago,New Zealand,accessed August 22, 2017.
- Omakau . Otago Central Rail Trail Charitable Trust, archived from the original onApril 29, 2012; accessed on September 2, 2014(English, original website no longer available).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed August 22, 2017 .