Thousands Descend On Bluff For Oyster Festival

Thousands Descend On Bluff For Oyster Festival

Once again the Bluff Oyster & Food Festival demonstrated its sheer pulling power when a massive crowd descended on the port town on Saturday to celebrate one of the souths great icons - the Bluff Oyster.

As usual the crowds came from all over New Zealand and beyond ready to enjoy succulent Bluff Oysters along with other southern seafood treats plus non-seafood items from the various food stalls while also enjoying the beverages on offer.

Entertainment ranged from the Kayes Bakery Creativity Awards - a fashion show based around Oyster Sacks and sea themes, the Oyster Eating and Opening races plus musical entertainment and even a calendar launch in which twelve Bluff fishermen bared all to assist the fundraising effort for the Bluff Pool.

Visiting celebrities Brendon Pongia of TV1's Good Morning Show, Robbie Magasiva and Kiel McNaughton of Shortland Street and celebrity model Nicky Watson proved popular with festival goers.

Clive Westood of Bluff broke Keith Lovett's lengthy grip on the Men's Oyster Opening title after Lovett bent his knife on just the second of his fifty oysters. However Lovett took the Veterans and Blindfold races. In the Blindfold race he became the inaugural winner of the Daniel Lovett Memorial Trophy named in memory of his late son. The trophy was presented by Keiths grandson. Lovett showed what he might have achieved in the Open event when he set the fastest time of the day - 2 minutes 34.00 seconds while opening 50 oysters to win the Veterans Race. Victoria Pearsey of Bluff won the Women's category of the Oyster Opening competition for the first time while Lex Perkins, a former Mayor Of Bluff, won the Celebrity Race. The Barnes Oyster factory team took the Oyster Opening relay title.

Local oyster eating legend Tom Sawyer of Invercargill won the Men's Oyster Eating title while Rose Seyb of Te Anau took the Women's event.

"Birds Of A Feather", designed by Tess Van Dijk, won the Kayes Bakery Supreme Creativity Award selected from all the category winners in the Oyster Sack Fashion Parade and the Inspirations Of The Sea Competition. The garment incorporated a seagull gently soaring high surveying the panoramic seascape below.

ENDS

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