Steampunkers converge for festival
Oamaru's annual Steampunk Festival goes back in time this weekend, boosting the town's tourism appeal in the process.
Steampunk NZ Festival organising committee member Carolyn Lewis said this year's "Circus in Time" theme combined flamboyance and the spectacle of the circus with adventures in time.
"Time travel is an iconic Steampunk theme.
"The Victorian Era is a key time period for Steampunk fans, and the Victorians absolutely loved a circus — it was an accessible form of entertainment, with the sideshows and associated activities being hugely popular across all classes.
"Most of the tickets sold thus far for this year's festival have gone to out-of-towners, including a good chunk of North Island folk.
"We also have overseas visitors from Australia and the US."
Steampunkers Sir Gideon Steamcrank (Gearlord of the Twisting Spires) aka Carl Yates and James Brian said they were coming to Steampunk weekend with a group from Christchurch.
"There is a French girl in our group and an Australian couple who were married in Steampunk and they have come over to be part of the festival for their honeymoon," Mr Brian said.
He had been attending the Oamaru Steampunk festival for the past 15 years.
Mr Brian had travelled to other Steampunk events around the world including in England, Germany and the Netherlands.
He believed the Oamaru event was "world class".
Mr Yates said he was a "newbie" attending the festival for the fourth time this year and he was excited for the upcoming event.
"We look forward to meeting all the creative, imaginative and eccentric people at the festival," Mr Yates said.
The Heritage Precinct in Oamaru was a major factor in the success of the festival, Ms Lewis said.
The five-day festival began yesterday and will continue over the King's Birthday weekend to Monday.
Tourism Waitaki consumer and trade marketing manager Jade Harvey said the town was generally booked out, with cafes busy and motels full.
"Accommodation is usually fully or almost booked out on Steampunk weekend with approximately 90% of attendees visiting from outside of Waitaki with the post-event survey showing that 80% stay for three nights or more.
"Although the festival is concentrated in Oamaru, the majority of attendees are from out of town and are choosing to stay for most, if not all, of the long weekend."
jules.chin@odt.co.nz
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