Festival Bites

As New Zealand’s reputation as an innovative food and wine nation continues to evolve, festivals celebrating the bounty of the sea are popular highlights on the “foodie” calendar around the country. Waterfront checks out six of the best.

Whangarei Fritter Festival

The Whangarei Fritter Festival is held at Toll Stadium near the banks of the Hatea River and the eagerly-awaited festival will mark its fifth anniversary when it’s held on Saturday 25 March, 2017…

Great Fitzroy Mussel Fest

Port Fitzroy at Great Barrier Island in the outer Hauraki Gulf is one of the best natural, deep water harbours in New Zealand with many sheltered bays and coves around its edge…

Coromandel Town Seafood Fest

Mussels, oysters and fish from Coromandel waters are the heroes of the Coromandel Town Seafood Fest which was held for the first time in 2016 and is set down for a return on 6 May, 2017…

Havelock Mussel and Seafood Festival

New Zealand green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) are world-renowned for their culinary and health properties and they have their own annual festival in Havelock – a small coastal town at the head of Pelorus Sound, in the Marlborough Sounds…

Kaikoura Seafest

Kaikoura, in Maori, means “eat crayfish” and that’s exactly what hordes of people do at the annual Kaikoura Seafest – a seafood laden festival that has been a drawcard for the east coast South Island fishing town each spring for the last 21 years…

Bluff Oyster and Food Festival

May is when covetable Bluff oysters are at their large, succulent, briny best and it’s also when the little seaside town at the southern-most point of the South Island holds a unique festival to toast the delicious “Bluffie”…

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