It's official - the Geopark pop-up shop will open its doors on Monday, 09 March 2020 at 12.30 pm. It is intended to be a place where locals and visitors alike can learn about the Geopark's vision and goals and understand what it will mean for the district and why we are applying for UNESCO Global Geopark status. Waitaki is a big district and while we have certainly been busy travelling all over, talking to people about the Geopark and interviewing local food and beverage producers for our series Eat the Park, it will really help to have a place that people can find us.
The shop will also be a place where people can learn about our cultural, geological and natural heritage. Display boards give information about Zealandia, the 8th continent, and a fossil collection and microscope make it possible to discover our heritage up close. And there is much more to discover. We aim to plan activities for kids, host a speaker series and give Waitakians and a wider audience of visitors from New Zealand and overseas a better, more hands-on idea of exactly what a Geopark is and the effects having one here could have on tourism and the local economy.
The shop can be found on 27 Thames Street, Oamaru (almost opposite the Waitaki District Council building) and will be open from Monday to Friday from 12.30-4.30 until the end of June.
Thank you to all the organisations and people who have donated or loaned furniture and other bits and pieces for the space! See you there.
