Testimonials

“We have always loved Ōamaru Natural Stone. Our brief to John Donnelley who designed our home was that we wanted Ōamaru Natural Stone everywhere. We would have had it inside as well as outside, but John suggested that if we positioned windows in specific places, we could look out from the comfort of being inside and see the Ōamaru Natural Stone lining the outside walls.

So, we have columns and windows in places for the sole purpose of being able to gaze at the Ōamaru Natural Stone. The one piece of stone we have inside is an Ōamaru Natural Stone side table, which we had commissioned to fit into the entrance way. We never get sick of looking at the stone”.

– Adrienne Borrie, Borrie House

“Mike from Parkside Quarries was very good to deal with. He showed us around the quarry where we picked stone with not too much colour. That was what we wanted. Mike put the stone aside for us until we were ready to build.

We did experience some significant delays due to events and situations not related to the quarry, but the quarry was flexible and we had a clear communication channel between ourselves, Mike and Euan Baxter (the block layer), which meant that we were happy with the end result.

One of our favourite features is the curved saw marks on the walls which pick up the sunlight during the day”.

– Stephen and Helen Kidd, Kidd House

“We visited Ōamaru the year before we decided to build our home. We enjoyed a thoroughly wonderful time there and fell in love with all the solid Ōamaru stone buildings in the historic precinct.

When we found our section, we spent days just admiring the wonderful view of Lake Wakatipu, before we decided what kind of home we were going to build. Each day we were on our section, we looked across the lake, we could see this magnificent home, warmly glowing in the sunlight. Every day during that time, we looked over the lake, at the house, eventually taking a drive to get a closer view. When we found out it was built using natural Ōamaru stone and we thought about our visit to Ōamaru, we knew we had to use Ōamaru stone ourselves. We love the stone so much, we built a feature wall so that when we get sick of watching the TV, we can look at the stone!”

– Steve and Jenny, Stefanovich

The Eichardts II building illustrates a very contented marriage between the traditional and the modern. Designed by Michael Wyatt in Queenstown, built in conjunction with local stonemasons, it is already an icon capturing hearts of many, as they stroll along the waterfront of Queenstown.

– Eichardts II

“We love living everyday with natural Ōamaru limestone!”

– Cashmere Home

How would you describe the process of dealing with Parkside Quarries, as a home owner?
PQ were very efficient and gave us brochures to read on the product before we made our final decision.

During your decision making process, and throughout the build, how would you describe the communication from Parkside Quarries?
We found PQ very approachable and helpful with any extra information we needed on sealing and maintaining the product to keep it looking at it’s best.

Do you have any tips for other home owners considering natural stone?
Make sure you use a Bricklayer that is familiar with laying the Ōamaru Natural Stone, like we did. Parkside Quarries will advise you, as they can direct you to the appropriate tradesman for laying your stone.

How do you feel about your finished home?
We are very happy with the finished product in the way it was laid and we have lots of positive feedback from people passing by. The stonework stands out from the rest.

– High Residential

“Being responsible for the sale of the villas, I can tell you, the Ōamaru Limestone of our villas sets us apart from other retirement villages. People see the natural stone and just love the villas”.

– Sue Anderson, Wanaka Retirement Village

The owners of this home had admired a friend’s home, which was built using Ōamaru Natural Stone. Once they had decided on building a new home, they worked with a well-known group home building company to create their lovely family home overlooking their farm. As you drive down the highway, it can be admired as it sits proudly on the hill above.

– Opio Home

After a visit to Parkside Quarries, Dave and his daughter decided that they liked the look of the big flagstones above the windows. Dave’s wife wanted to keep the mortar a standard grey colour to make the stones stand out.

Bricklayers from Hugh Madden Brick and Block, in consultation with the Foote’s, came up with something a little different for the chimney design, which shows how the stone can be manipulated by tradesmen to give a unique finish.

– Foote Home

“We chose Ōamaru stone as we were looking for a cladding that was unique in an industry that is full of very similar looking products. We really like the clean look from afar, but also the interesting detail it has when you get up close. We love the faint saw marks when the sun hits it at particular angles, and that it’s a natural product which works really well with the cedar”

– Marie and Cam, Tamahere Residence