Kaikoura Seafest offers ocean bounty
28 Sep 2010
Kaikoura Seafest
1 - 2 October, 2010
Gourmet seafood pies, mussels, paua, salmon, prawns, whitebait, oysters, scallop kebabs and crayfish will tantalise tastebuds at the Kaikoura Seafest on New Zealand’s rugged South Island coast next month.
Now in its 15th year, the seafood festival has become one of New Zealand’s premier food and wine festivals - popular not only for the bounty of local ocean harvest but also the ‘local’ experience provided by the community of Kaikoura, a coastal town famed for whale watching.
Christchurch earthquake
This year’s Seafest will have a special focus, as organisers are pledging to support Cantabrians in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.
Event chairperson Neroli Gold says that the festival is just the kind of light-hearted release that locals and visitors need.
"We will have donation boxes on site so that those attending can show their support for the Canterbury earthquake recovery," said Gold.
Fun and friendly festival
The Kaikoura Seafest kicks off on the evening of 1 October, with a huge ‘Big Top Bash’ party featuring live entertainment from Christchurch musicians.
The food festival starts at 10am the following day with local bands providing live music as visitors embark on a tasting journey through a sea of stalls offering an assortment of local delicacies and wines from well known South Island vineyards.
Four ‘teppanyaki-style’ cooking demonstrations, hosted by the Teppanyaki Queens from San Francisco will provided added entertainment and, as well as seafood, festival-goers can also taste New Zealand’s famed ‘wildfood’, vegetarian fare, bread, gourmet chocolates and cheese.
Little town by the sea
Few places in the world can boast such natural wonders of both land and sea as Kaikoura.
Situated on the rugged coast between Christchurch and Picton, it is overlooked by mountains which are snow-capped for much of the year.
The contrasting deep blue of the Pacific ocean provides dramatic coastal alpine scenery, and the region is dedicated to protecting the local natural beauty and wildlife.
Kaikoura offers many eco-tourism activities such as sea-going expeditions for whale and dolphin watching, seabirds and many other species of marine life by boat, flight or on land.
Local fishing guides provide visitors with the chance to get out on the water and try their luck. Scuba divers can experience some of the best reef diving in the country, and other sea-based activities include kayaking around the peninsula.
Land-lovers also have a range of options from four-wheel motor biking, horse trekking and hunting, to star-gazing, wine tasting or experiencing local Maori hospitality.
The Kaikoura area also offers scenic tramps and climbs for walkers of all ranges and abilities.
More information
Whale Watch Kaikoura
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