During our stay at Maraehako Bay, we have the option of joining our host to catch crayfish from traps and cook them for dinner. I eagerly sign up to participate because New Zealand crayfish are better known in the U.S. as lobsters. I am so on board.

We hop into our guide’s boat and head out of Maraehako Bay.

The bait on the right below is to refill the traps once we take out the caught crayfish / lobster.

Fellow traveler Matt kindly shared this photo with me — I’m protecting my camera from the mist as our boat picks up speed.

We reach the spot of the first lobster trap and the men do all the heavy lifting. I snap photos.

The first trap yields THREE large crayfish / lobster.

Okay, it’s about time I investigate the difference between crayfish and lobster. Here’s the official word:

“Crayfish – also called crawfish or crawdads – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related; taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the term crayfish or cray generally refers to a saltwater spiny lobster.” (via)

Over the next 45 minutes we check seven more traps, but every single one is empty. Thankfully we have our initial three crayfish.

That’s White Island puffing away in the distance. It’s an active volcano.

Our host humanely kills the crayfish by drowning them in regular (non-salt) water.

Once the crayfish are boiled and cooled off it’s time to prepare them for our plates.

I ask our host where the butter is. He gives me a funny look and says they eat their crayfish fresh ’round these parts. The New Englander in me sheds a tear.

Luckily there is a Canadian at the table who understands how essential drawn butter is to the crayfish / lobster eating experience. He dashes off to the hostel kitchen and returns with a small bowl of melted butter. Bless his heart!

We each get half a crayfish and it’s plenty of food. There is SO much meat on these guys. We use our hands (and forks and knives) to crack out every last piece of crayfish from the spiny legs.

Bon appétit!