#BLOG4NZ SEDUCTION OF THE SOUTH 4 - IT IS PEOPLE

We have a saying in New Zealand and its about what is most important to us as a nation - its a Maori proverb and its this.. "what is the most important thing?" It is people , it is people , it is people.

He aha te mea nui? He tangata. He tangata. He tangata.

So we need you to come to New Zealand – its already full of good people. People who are open, friendly, keen to tell a yarn, have a laugh, find out about your world, find out what you do.

And we have our share of characters. Crazy mayors like Tim Shadbolt down in Invercargill. Amazing chefs like Fleur Sullivan who created a restaurant on the end of a wharf in Moeraki to guarantee the fish she serves at Fleurs place is as fresh as you can get.

Or head to Te Anau and take a flight with legendary Richard “Hannibal” Hayes.

Meet interesting wine makers and characters like Alan Brady, in Gibbston valley,

Dlont forget the young helicopter pilots who will take you skiing and sightseeing, and the pilots who fly the Stewart Island Air service.

The drovers on the Central Otago Cavalcade - a horse lovers dream ride.

Young Jack Topi who has a flash big boat called the Awesome who takes fishing and hunting charters out of Bluff and around Stewart Island.

The skippers of the Bluff Oyster fleet . Follow the Bluff residents around to the “point” to watch the boats come up the harbour. Follow them back round to the Bluff wharf and watch them unload.

They are all our people, all different and they will all welcome you to our place. Because they know that more than ever, in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake - the answer to the question what is the most important thing?

It is people, its is people , it is people.

NEW ZEALANDS BEST FISH UNDER THREAT?

Cod help us - the most delicious fish in the country is in a parlous state.

Blue cod is one of our favourites - and we admit to loving the heads more than the fillets. Our favourite boil up - bar none. Just a few shallots, pepper and salt and boil or steam. Eat, lay, sigh.

It is a staple of the Southland diet and just as Bluff oysters taste better than the same species grown in Nelson, the Southern deep cold sea Blue cod tastes better than cod from anywhere else apart probably from the Chathams.

We use to go commercial blue cod fishing for three or four days every month with our previous partner.

Its a tough fishery, hard demanding and often boring. And its prone to serial depletion. That is the fishermen go where its easiest to catch the fish and they can get fished out quickly.

However there could be a goods reason that the catches are down

The total allowable commercial catch for BCO 5 is set at about 1500 tonnes, fetching more than $35 million when the quota is filled, but Mr Carbines said 300 tonnes less than that was caught on average during the past three years.

"... We can safely say we have concerns for the fishery," he said.

If there is a good year for lobster, those lobster fishermen who hold Blue cod quote dont bother fishing it. And there have been some bloody good years for the lobster fishermen.

We applaud the BCO5 fishermen and the government for engaging in a longish term four year study to find out the true state of the fishery.

And as for the best way to eat Blue Cod ? Sashimi or lightly pan fried in butter with just a smidgeon of tarragon.

Its also excellent in a tempura batter.

And the wine? Olssens Pinot Gris. Its layers of stone fruit lift the ozone out of our country's greatest tasting fish.