Clarissa Doran
The Oxford
Clarissa, 44, found herself in Timaru after a life of restaurant co-ownership in Queenstown. Today, she and her husband own The Oxford, one of the most popular spots in town. Clarissa is almost as passionate about Timaru as she is about the art of looking after people properly.
Did you plan to end up in Timaru? No way. I’m originally from Sydney, and then was in London, and then met my husband, Michael, in Queenstown. He’s from Timaru. We each had other restaurants in Queenstown, but we knew we wanted to leave, open a business together and eventually start a family. Mike wanted to come back because he’d grown up here and loved it, and his family had returned to the area. He said, “Give it two years, and after that, you can pick anywhere you want to live instead.” So I was operating on a two-year plan, but pretty much within six months of living here, I just loved it.
What fuels your passion for your work? The thing with hospitality is that the rewards are immediate, and the problems and solutions are immediate. You create something and you sell it and you see straight away whether people like it and how grateful they are, or if it’s not good, you can go, “Right, let’s do it better or try something else.” That’s the part of the industry I love, that constant movement and flexibility.
So you’ve come to love Timaru. What’s special about it? The sense of community here is really at the heart of why Timaru is so great. There’s so much to offer. The Jack’s Point walk is one of my favourites. The other thing is there’s lots to do here that doesn’t cost you money. The museum’s free, the gallery’s free, there are even scavenger hunts for kids.
EAT
Saikou
“When we’re not here at the restaurant we tend to go and eat something that’s totally not like us,” says Clarissa. “We love Asian food. Saikou is one of the ones we really like – it’s just good Japanese- inspired food. They do great cocktails and have young owners who are excited about all the things about the industry that I love.”
saikoutwb.co.nz
@saikoutimaru
SEE & DO
Timaru Penguins
“We live right on Caroline Bay, so we can go down there and watch the penguins come out of the water at the beach. The best time to go is right as the sun’s going down. There are volunteers down there most days and they tell you what stage the penguins are at in their breeding,” Clarissa says.
timarupenguins.co.nz
Central Timaru Heritage Walk
“This is an awesome walking trail that helps you notice and learn about Timaru's architecture, with interesting stories of everyday people who lived and worked in the building you are standing in front of,” Clarissa says of thethirty-minutee walk, which takes you past a variety of the city’s historic buildings. “You can do it on your phone, or pick a copy up from the Museum.”
vttourism.co.nz/activities/family-fun/short-walks-in-timaru-district
South Canterbury Museum
“It’s so quirky it’s cool. It’s like a museum that I remember my mum taking me to – like a step back in time,” Clarissa says. “It’s two floors and you could probably do it in half an hour, but they always have a changing exhibition. It’s a bit of a homage to the history of Timaru, and is great for kids.”
museum.timaru.govt.nz
@south_canterbury_museum
Shopping
According to Clarissa, Timaru has a lot of great independent shops. “Which means as far as shopping goes, you can get things that are a little bit different. You’ve got Miss Timaru, Black & Co and Soul Surf & Skate for clothes. Stompz for shoes. Millie Rose Boutique does beautiful cupcakes and also a clothing line. Serendipity Antiques & Collectables Timaru is really quirky, eclectic and cool, and we’ve got some great vintage second-hand shops, too.”
@blackandcostorenz
@soulsurfskate.co.nz
@millierose.nz
@stompznz
serendipity4antiques
This story was made possible thanks to support from Venture Timaru. welovetimaru.nz.
It appeared in the Kōanga Spring 2022 Edition of Shepherdess. You can get a copy from one of our stockists or order one here.
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