Bluff Oyster season is well underway, and these briny delights are best enjoyed down south, as Emma Gleason discovers
It's the highlight in every seafood connoisseurs' calendar, the chapter of the year when Bluff oysters are harvested, served up and enjoyed around Aotearoa. Though this delicacy can be enjoyed in restaurants and eateries across the country, it's hard to surpass the taste of a fresh Bluff oyster at its namesake locale – Bluff.
Perched at the end of the South Island, Bluff is one of the pearls of Southland. A seaport town with a splash of tourism due to its economic focus on seafood and picturesque location, many oyster aficionados make a pilgrimage each year to enjoy these delicacies in situ. The region is also famed for its blue cod, which is well worth trying while you're down there.
We stayed at the appropriately named Land's End hotel. Right by the water at Stirling Point, it looks out across the dramatic expanse of the Foveaux Strait, with Rakiura Stewart Island on the horizon. One of a handful of accommodation options on booking.com for Bluff, it was an easy choice to make. As we were in Bluff in winter, we wanted to ensure that we would be comfortable and Land's End's listing boasted heated rooms, free Wi-Fi and a complimentary continental breakfast. Pictures showed a warm, cottage-style boutique hotel with a crackling fire. And it was by that fire that we found ourselves in the depths of July, watching the weather roll in and planning our oyster strategy.
