In New Plymouth, back in January, our good friend Dennis took us to his favourite secret fishing spot. We went at sunset, low tide, full moon, absolutely perfect conditions for catching kahawai (Australian salmon).

Ocean fishing is a lot more exciting than lake fishing. The surf was roaring, the wind was blowing, and we had to contend with seals who often stole our bait.

We followed the Maori custom of giving back the first fish to Tangaroa, the god of the sea. Then we kept the rest to take home and cook.

The kahawai can be quite delicious! We prepared the fillets, but were too late to eat them that night, so froze them for later. Then we forgot about them, so we didn’t actually get to try them. Oh well! Next time we’ll bring a grill and eat them fresh.