International media have been enticed by the unusual and stomach-challenging delicacies on offer at the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival and will jostle with their Kiwi counterparts for tastings on Saturday March 12.

Queries and exclamations have been coming from all corners of the globe, including from Spanish newspaper El Pais, from Brazil, from the Wall Street Journal editions in the UK, France and the Netherlands, and from World TV serving Korean and Chinese viewers.

The introduction of horse semen shots at this year's 22nd anniversary festival has prompted Finland television's Maria Talk Show to plan its own tasting. It will screen people downing horse semen shots live on screen next Wednesday and has emailed festival organisers for the recipe.

Our Aussie media cousins are also likely to be throwing back horse semen "protein" shots following a learned dissertation on the topic from festival organiser Mike Keenan interviewed on Perth's Ugly Phil breakfast show.

"I've been practising greetings in all languages but have yet to find a phrase in any that says 'swallow this morsel and experience a life-changing moment'," Mr Keenan said. "However, smiles and 'come on, have a go' gestures are universal."

The festival has spent the past 21 years earning its deserved reputation as the most outrageous wildfoods experience. With its penchant for introducing new menu challenges each year, the festival is now established firmly among the top 300 unmissable festivals in the whole world, as rated by Frommers Travel Guides.

100 free tickets to Christchurch's Student Volunteer Army

The Christchurch earthquake clean-up work provided by the University of Canterbury Student Volunteer Army has prompted the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival to offer 100 free tickets for students wishing to attend.

"We stand in admiration of the way the young people of the city have rallied to help with what seem like insurmountable tasks of cleaning up all the silt and debris thrown up by the earthquake," festival organiser Mike Keenan said.

"Canterbury students traditionally join us at the festival as a rite of passage to start their university year. "We welcome them once again and offer 100 free tickets through their organisation to help some of them on their way."

The festival is not just about weird and wonderful food - though that is the major attraction. A wide variety of top class music also makes for a wonderful weekend of foot stomping and prancing - with each year's line-up surpassing the years before.

Top liners, the fabulous Beat Girls, will rock the huhus out of the crowd with their tribute act. Add jazz, blues, country blues crossovers, junk shop guitar folk rock, and covers of greatest hits - and you have something for every taste from a menu of accomplished bands.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet will turn lunch into a visual treat with its Tutus on Tour interactive workshop. Let alone the spectacle of the Hokitika Belly Dancers.