Wet conditions fail to deter oyster fans
Updated: 2008-05-26 15:26
Peter "The Mad Butcher" Leitch in heaven.[Agencies]
Wet and windblown conditions did not dampen the spirits of 3000 oyster-lovers who devoured 15,000 oysters and other delicacies at the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival on Saturday.
Festival promotions officer Lindsay Beer said the organising committee had done a fantastic job with only 23 weeks to pull the event together.
It was the first time in 10 years the festival was back in the hands of Bluff locals with a committee taking control of the festival in December after Venture Southland dropped the event.
"In that short time span it was a fantastic festival. People kept stopping us saying what a wonderful event it was," Beer said.
"The best thing was people came in good festival spirits and the rain didn't bother them."
The last-minute cancellation of Wellington band Fat Freddy's Drop had been disappointing but other acts kept people entertained.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt got into festival spirit on Saturday morning, greeting passengers at the airport in his mayoral robe and serving out oysters as they got off the plane.
Shadbolt said at the festival it was "wet and windblown" but "dramatic and exciting".
"It's always going to be wet and windblown and it will be a great day."
Omaui resident Sharyn McLean said she had enjoyed a smorgasbord of food from venison and oyster pie and muttonbird to one dozen cooked oysters, one dozen raw oysters, salmon and tuna sushi and blue cod.
"It was beautiful because the other years they had upmarket restaurants this was back to real food for everyone."
Agnes Ellis, of Dunedin, said she had travelled with her friend Loraine Denniston especially for the festival.
"I looked forward to it for so long, I felt it was fairly crammed the weather had a lot to do with the congestion.
"There looked to be a wonderful array of food."
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