Steampunk HQ

Oamaru, NZ

The highlight from our brief visit in in Oamaru was the Steampunk HQ Workshop. While in Dunedin we had found a deal on NZ’s equivalent to Groupon for half priced admission to the Workshop in Oamaru, so we decided to make previously unknown-to-us town one of the next stops on our road trip! For those that don’t know, this is the definition of Steampunk:

Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.

Upon arrival at the beautiful old grain mill-turned workshop, we were warmly greeted and then told of the different areas of the building that we could explore. There were 2 rooms inside, and a yard full of bigger pieces outside. The first room featured a revamped pipe organ that was fully playable & very entertaining!

The second room was full of some bigger pieces as well as quite a few animal sculptures. The bigger pieces included a car, a ship, a time machine and many more. Most of the animal sculptures were designed & made by the late Chris Meder. Meder sadly lost his battle to cancer in 2010 at the age of 39. But in his young life, he grew to be quite the celebrated & well-known sculptor. Though many of his pieces remain at the Steampunk HQ on loan as part of an extended exhibit, even more have been given to friends and family, and several were sold to collectors & fans.

Outside, we were able to get up close and personal with some of the bigger sculptures. There was a train car, a blimp, an old tractor, and even a giant motorcycle!! The amount of creativity and intricate details in all of the pieces, both inside and out, was truly phenomenal.

For me, the coolest thing from the whole tour was ‘The Portal’. The Portal is a small room mirrored on all walls, including the floor and ceiling. From the ceiling hung strands of lights. After the door was closed, the lights dimmed, and music started to play. The light strands then started blinking and changing colour in time with the music. The result was a completely mesmerising experience. The whole ‘show’ lasts 2.5 minutes, and every second is amazing. So amazing in fact, that I went in a second time!!

Steampunk HQ opened in 2011 and has done a great job of revitalizing the small town of Oamaru. In addition to being just a really cool place to visit, there are also community events associated with the Workshop as well as a week-long festival during the year. I previously knew next to nothing about Steampunk and granted, I still don’t know much, but the morning that we spent at Steampnuk HQ is one I’ll remember for a long time.