More than 7000 expected at Kaikoura Seafest

More than 7000 wine and food tasters are expected at the Kaikoura Seafest on October 4 and 5 to mark the start of the new tourist season.

Lovers of venison, wild pork, mussels, fish, crayfish and ostrich will mix their favourite food with Canterbury wines and boutique beer, organisers said today.

Despite becoming a major tourist attraction for 1.4 million visitors a year, Kaikoura has retained its small town character with only 3400 residents.

Kaikoura mayor Jim Abernethy said the festival was set in the low tourist season.

"It used to be one of our quietest weekends in the year and now it's one of our busiest.

"This is our eighth year of Seafests and the town is becoming busier. We just want people to stay longer now."

At the centre of the town's success is Ngai Tahu's WhaleWatch operation, based out of the town's Whaleway Station. Kaikoura is the only area where sperm whales, rare blue whales and orca can be seen 12 months of the year.

- NZPA