The Dominion Post

At the bottom end of New Zealand, photographer Craig Simcox encounters the nation's favourite shellfish and the characters whose lives revolve around the annual harvest.

Think Bluff, think oysters. The two go together like Fred and Ginger. The fishing port at the bottom of the South Island trades on its links to the delicacy and has done so for generations.

In the pre-quota 1970s, 23 boats worked the waters of Foveaux Strait harvesting the shellfish.

Now 11 boats operate and hold between them 23 quotas, each equivalent to 56,000 dozen. Dredging starts in March and continues till the boats have reached their quota. Most will be finished by mid-June.

More than 3000 people marched into Bluff this autumn for the Oyster and Food Festival, firmly ensconced in the town despite neighbouring Invercargill's attempt to take the festival up the road.

Bluff locals took matters into their own hands, called a meeting, and 23 weeks later showed off their favourite morsel to the masses.

Oysters are not the only delicacy on show at the festival. Blue cod, crayfish, paua, mussels, salmon, and squid can be sampled, as can venison, muttonbird and wild hare.

There was even a sausage sizzle run by women from the Foveaux Pearls Marching Team.

The boys from the local rowing club were kept busy shucking the shellfish by the bag. More than 500 dozen had been sold within the first three hours. By day's end, 1500 dozen more had been sold through other stalls.

Punters paid $3 for a single oyster, $16 a half dozen and $28 a dozen. Nearby, parmesan and sesame-coated blue cod fillets were served with potato wedges and salsa; they hit the spot.

One of the more unusual offerings was heart stew (made from muttonbird).

Organisers reckon that about a third of festival tickets sold go to out- of-towners.

Some visitors decide to make a real trip of it and arrive in Southland several days early, intent on making the most of the southern hospitality.

The organisers have gone to the local community and drawn them in, too. Local schoolchildren show off their sea- themed artwork, and designers use the humble oyster sack as the basis for fashion designs.

Oyster-eating races – downing a dozen with a toothpick – make a spectacle, with men's and women's races held separately.

The festival's origins are uncertain, but the consensus is that a local pub started oyster-eating races in the 1970s. This year, a coolstore near the wharves and several marquees were set up to accommodate the crowds.

A couple of open-sided trucks at the far end of the yard provided a platform for musicians.

Early in the day, as an old-timers' band played, one hardy couple braved the rain and danced on a makeshift dance floor. Later on, the rain and the cold seemed to matter little as the crowds, well fed and watered by now, boogied on down.

Bluff oysters hold a revered place in New Zealand's culinary landscape, and Bluff's festival to celebrate them is sure to draw continued support.