KEY POINTS:
Macadamia crusted scallops, grilled Antarctic toothfish steak, coriander chilli mussels - and greased poles.
These are just a few of the temptations on offer at this year's two-day Auckland Seafood Festival which begins today on the Viaduct.
As well as the piles of steaming mussels, crayfish and shrimp which attracted 12,000 people last year, this year's seafood festival features a greased pole for people to take a refreshing dip between sampling delicacies.
Daldy St and Jellicoe St on the Auckland waterfront will be closed for the weekend to accommodate about 20 food stalls at the festival, which is centred on the Auckland Fish Market.
Tomorrow kicks off with a Blessing of the Fleet at 10am - a tribute to those lost at sea and wish for safety and prosperity in the new fishing year.
Ben Lummis, Tahitian and salsa dancers and a ukulele orchestra will be entertaining in the Heart of the City free family area and Nesian Mystik and One Million Dollars, among others, will be blasting from the Jellicoe St party stage.
The salty celebration is also the first festival to receive a carbon neutral status in New Zealand, as organisers purchased carbon credits to counteract the emissions created by the event.
The Auckland Seafood Festival runs today and tomorrow from 11am-6pm
