A Taste of New Zealand

Going to festivals and other events around communities in New Zealand is a terrific way for a backpacker to get the feel and flavor of the real New Zealand. Spend time in each place and soak in the local life. It will deepen your appreciation of the experience. A festival, called Wild Foods Festival, which you should not miss out on attending, is held in March of every year at Hokitika, on South Island’s West Coast.

The isolation of the West Coast means the residents, or West Coasters, pay scant attention to what goes on in the world so distant from them. The Wild Foods Festival showcases local delicacies and drinks. Some of the memorable fare available at the 2008 festival were live huhu grubs; Mountain Oysters (known as goat testicles); eel spine; semen sauce; marinated duck tongue; seagull turd; cow tit; possum pie and rotten fish eyes. How delicious! Oddly enough they sold out of huhu grubs because they were so popular. Talk about an epicurean adventure! People are everywhere egging others on to partake in some of the grossest offerings available.

They do offer some tamer foods that included homemade fudge, mussels, white bait fritters, Bambi (venison) burgers, wild pork, wasp larvae ice cream and a pickled native fern called punga. In addition, they offer local beverages like gorse flower wine and an array of live entertainment. Monteith’s beer, a local brew, flowed all day and night, along with a variety of New Zealand wines.

In 2006, the population of Hokitika was just over 3000. With a cap of 15,000 tickets, accommodations for festivalgoers can get very interesting. There are several campsites set up including a couple by the fire brigade on the beach. The setting is incredible with the coast at the doorstep. After a day out and an evening partying, sitting on the beach by a bonfire is the perfect ending to the day.

Upon waking in the morning, you can drink in the sunrise or take a leisurely walk. Those with no accommodations will set up house wherever they can find space, including among the porta-potties.

New Zealand has many festivals that, like Wild Foods, are well worth going to. Be sure to find out what events will be going on during your visit and plan your trip. A great way to see Aotearoa, which translated means Land of the Long White Cloud, is going pack sacking through the country.