A sense of adventure, a campervan, a road, beautiful scenery, and loads exciting seafood to discover. A self drive tour of New Zealand’s South Island is a dream holiday for any lover of the fruits of the sea. An incredible diversity of breathtaking landscapes awaits the road traveler. Pristine white beaches, towering mountains, rainforest, fjords, glaciers and long stretches of rocky inshore reef provide the perfect backdrop to experience some of the finest food and wine anywhere. The proud spirit of New Zealand is tangible everywhere you go. Built around a rich and unique cultural heritage and a great fondness of wilderness, people are friendly and love meeting tourists from all over the world to share stories and advice about where to go and what to eat.
With such an extensive coastline and such a wide range of lakes and rivers to explore, there is always a well serviced caravan park or campsite convenient for those with motorhomes and campervans. It is often easy to get a site backing right onto a beach. There are many guides and internet sites available to refer to as you travel, offering you flexible arrangements to plan as you go, taking advantage of opportunities and attractions that you learn about as you continue your journey.
There is a huge variation of seafood species to be found here. Fish are abundant and include recognizable favourites like John Dory, kingfish, flounder, red and pink snapper, albacore, yellowfin and Bluefin tuna. Other fish to try in New Zealand that are less common elsewhere are Hapuka, bluenose, trumpeter, hoki (blue grenadier), terakihi (morwong in Australia), and blue cod. Trout are prolific in the perfect freshwater lakes and streams throughout the country, but are reserved for recreational fishing and won’t be found in restaurants. New Zealand also has a very successful salmon aquaculture industry, and while most salmon farmed in the world is Atlantic Salmon, here they farm the most delicious king salmon or chinook as the cool clear waters are perfectly suited to it.
Another unique highlight for fish and seafood lovers here is the tradition of catching and eating whitebait. Schools of juvenile fish migrate into freshwater streams from August to November each year where they are a target for recreational fishers with special nets. Delicious to eat fried, they are also commonly prepared as fritters and are found in many restaurants and fish shops in that form.
Crayfish or rock lobsters also abound here, and with a long Polynesian history and a close affinity with the sea, New Zealanders have a fantastic understanding of their shellfish. Green-lip mussels are a famous and unique product of New Zealand waters that are farmed and sold globally. The creamy roe of the sea urchin or kina as it is known here is a favourite delicacy, and greenlip mussels is another famous New Zealand seafood that is exported all over the world. Abalone is very popular. Toheroa are large clams often used in fantastic soups and chowders, and local oysters and scallops are also a feature of menus throughout the country.
The great pride of Maori heritage is celebrated everywhere in New Zealand. Food, art, family, song, dance, and ceremony mark respect for the traditional ways. The haka is a war dance that is still performed by national rugby teams ahead of every match. Everyone needs to respectfully confront the challenge of the haka at least once in their life, and try to hold their nerve as they experience the full might of this impressive culture. The Hāngī is a traditional Polynesian earth oven usually comprising of fish, meats and vegetables wrapped in flax weaving and leaves, placed on hot stones and covered with soil and water to encourage a steamy bake. It is carefully prepared, and then opened and distributed with great ceremony as part of community feasts and special occasions.
Seafood Trails 