1 / 9Oamaru, New Zealand’s Steampunk Capital | Every year, the quiet South Island town of Oamaru transforms into a fantasy world of steam-powered inventions, Victorian fashion and imaginative characters. The annual Steampunk Festival attracts thousands of visitors from New Zealand and abroad. (Image: AP)
2 / 9The Tiny Town Behind the Global Attraction | Home to around 14,000 residents, Oamaru has become one of the world’s best-known steampunk destinations. The town’s preserved 19th-century harbour district provides an authentic setting for the festival. Historic limestone buildings create the illusion of stepping back in time. (Image: Canva)
3 / 9What Is Steampunk? | Steampunk combines Victorian-era aesthetics with science fiction. Fans imagine an alternate world where steam power remained the dominant technology, inspiring everything from fashion and gadgets to fictional identities. (Image: AP)
4 / 9Months of Craftsmanship | Many attendees spend months creating outfits by sewing, metalworking, hat-making and upcycling old materials. The result is a display of elaborate costumes featuring gears, goggles, corsets and fantastical inventions. (Image: AP)
5 / 9Meet the Festival Characters | Participants often adopt fictional personas, ranging from airship captains and scientists to explorers and aristocrats. For many, the festival offers a chance to step into an entirely different character. (Image: AP)
6 / 9Teapot Racing, Parasol Duels and More | One of the festival’s most popular attractions is teapot racing, where remote-controlled vehicles carrying teapots navigate obstacle courses before cheering crowds. The festival also embraces quirky traditions, including parasol duelling, fashion contests and themed competitions that celebrate creativity and humour. (Image: AP)
7 / 9A Community Built on Creativity | Visitors say the event creates a welcoming space where self-expression is encouraged. Many attendees return year after year, forming friendships and traditions through their shared love of steampunk culture. (Image: AP)
8 / 9Beyond the Festival | Outside the festival, Oamaru is known for its Victorian architecture, coastal setting and colony of endangered little blue penguins, making it a distinctive stop on New Zealand’s South Island. (Image: AP)
9 / 9Why Travellers Keep Coming Back | What was once seen mainly as a stop between Christchurch and Dunedin has reinvented itself as a destination in its own right. For four days each year, Oamaru becomes a place where history, fantasy and creativity come together. (Image: AP)
