Oamaru is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, and is the main town in the Waitaki District. With the closure of the port and the New Zealand economy stalled Oamaru was hard hit. In response it started to reinvent itself becoming one of the first New Zealand towns to realise its built heritage was an asset. A trust was formed and work began restoring the historic precinct beside the port, perhaps the most atmospheric urban area in New Zealand.