New Oyster Festival Venue Debuts with Flying Colours   25 May 2015

New Oyster Festival Venue Debuts with Flying Colours 

"Great!" It was a succinct comment from Bluff Oyster & Food Festival Chairman John Edminstin, but it more than adequately summed up the 2015 Festival in Bluff on Saturday.

A new permanent venue greeted Festival goers this year and it passed the test with flying colours on a wintry day. Jason Steele from Festival sponsor Real Journeys officially opened the new venue before the traditional Piping In and Ode and the opening of the Festival. Entertainment continued on the main stage throughout the day while a terrific crowd of around 4000 people enthusiastically  praised  the new venue as they toured the food stalls and watched the Oyster Competitions in the comfort of the new structures.

Edminstin praised his committee and the many people who assisted in the development and building of the new venue. "It was a mighty effort by the committee and all those involved to not only organise another great Festival but to do it in a new venue."

Shane Wixon of Ngai Tahu Fisheries won the Men's Oyster Opening Competition in a time of 2 minutes 38 seconds from Ricci Grant and veteran Keith Dawson. Defending champion Jimmy Ryan-Thoms was fourth. Meanwhile in the Women's Oyster Opening Competition Victoria Pearsey of Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters won her fifth straight title in a time of 3 minutes, just 2 seconds quicker than runner-up Peg Bishop of Direct Fish with Here Witehira third. Shane Wixon also won the Blindfold Race from Dawson and Greg Claxton. The factory relay saw Team Direct Fish and Team Barnes tie with a time of 4 minutes 49 seconds. A tiebreaker was held with a smaller number of Oysters, Team Direct Fish winning it by 5 seconds.

There was no shortage of volunteers from the crowd for the Oyster Eating Events a big number being whittled down to the Men's and Women's Champions, Shane Drozdzak of Invercargill and Cynthea Corbett of Dunedin respectively.

The Food Stall Competition saw Food@Clifton take the top prize from Divine Dish and Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters.

The entries in the Kayes Bakery Creativity Awards were paraded and judged in the Bluff Town Hall on Friday evening, the winners appearing on stage at the Festival the following day.  Ella Humphrey of Southland Girls High School won the Supreme Creativity Award with her creation "Here Comes The Lobster" which she modelled herself. Section winners included Sharleen Kiff in the Adult Section of the Oyster Sack Fashion and Tarryn Barrett, Mikayla Tama-McKenzie, Shakira Naim and Sadie McNaught-Ramone of Aurora College in the Secondary Section

In the Adult Section of the Foveaux Fantasy, Raena Tokana of Invercargill took the honours with her creation, Hinemoa, while in the  Secondary Section Grace Humphrey of Southland Girls High School took the spoils. The Primary Section was won by a creation from Room Tui from Bluff School - Tamanui-Te Ra.  

ENDS

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