Bluff's white gold was slurped up at this year's Bluff Oyster and Food Festival on Saturday.
Oysters were shucked, marinated, battered and cooked, but for the purist, they were simply eaten raw, straight from the shell.
The festival's new venue in the middle of Bluff was filled to capacity with about 4000 patrons passing through the sea themed gates, lined with fishing buoys and fishing paraphernalia that set the atmosphere, Bluff Promotions officer Lindsay Beer said.
Festival chairman John Edminstin summed up the new venue in one word - ''great'' - and praised his committee and the many volunteers who had contributed to the extensive new site, which comprised a main stage, a secondary stage and undercover areas for the food stalls.
Mr Beer said it was a big job to organise the festival each year, but to organise the festival and build a massive new venue as well was quite a feat.
Mr Edminstin praised his committee and volunteers for all the hard work, especially over the past six months.
''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 ... it's taken thousands of volunteer hours to build,'' he said.
Although the day was chilly, the crowd was warmed up with a wide choice of seafood and other food options, continous entertainment from local and national bands, and oyster opening and eating competitions, including the blindfold and relay oyster opening events.
Shane Wixon, of Ngai Tahu Fisheries, won the men's oyster opening competition in a time of 2min 38sec, from Ricci Grant and veteran Keith Dawson.
In the women's competition, Victoria Pearsey, of Barnes Wild Bluff Oysters, won her fifth straight title in a time of 3min, just two seconds faster than runner up Peg Bishop, of Direct Fish, with Here Witehira third.
Mr Beer said there was no shortage of volunteers from the crowd for the popular oyster eating events.
''But, the big number was whittled down to the men's and women's champions, Shane Drozdzak, of Invercargill, and Cynthea Corbett, of Dunedin.''
One of the festival's creative highlights was the Kayes Bakery Creativity Awards, with Ella Humphrey's Supreme Award winning creation, ''Here Comes The Lobster'', which was also placed second in the Foveaux Fantasy Secondary section of the competition.
This year the fashion awards were held the night before the festival in front of a packed audience in the Bluff Town Hall, with the winners of each category parading their creations at the festival itself.
By Janette Gelatly.
