Big is good in Oamaru, from vast skies and enormous limestone valleys chiselled by flat grey rivers, to views so surreal they look as though they’ve been painted. The B-side to this gobsmacking scenery is a chocolate-box town that’s big on charm and character. Here’s how to do a weekend in Oamaru. FRIDAY 2.00pm Nothing quickens the pulse quite like a jet boat experience. Head to Glenavy where Braided River Jet Boating will whisk you to the Waitaki Dam and then downstream to dart in and out of the Waitaki River’s lower braided channels. If you’re lucky, you might spot some rare and endangered river-nesting birds such as the black-fronted tern or the wrybill plover.