Follow your love of oysters to the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Australia, where oysters are grown in idyllic estuaries between the towns of Bermagui in the north and Wonboyn in the south. Slurp delicious oysters straight from the source, backdropped by the region’s natural beauty.
Taste the famous Tathra Oysters
Be amazed by the delicate sweetness and clean finish of Tathra Oysters. Just outside the seaside town of Tathra, a six-hour drive south of Sydney, Gary and Jo Rodely, along with their son Sam, grow their multi-award-winning Sydney Rock oysters in ideal conditions — in Nelson Lake in the middle of Mimosa Rocks National Park, connected to the ocean via a sheltered lagoon. You could taste these beauties in some of Sydney’s top restaurants or you can buy them from the farm’s shop in Tathra, freshly shucked in front of you.
Go organic at Wapengo Rocks
Oyster farmer Shane Buckley grows his certified-organic Wapengo Rocks Wild Organic Oysters in Wapengo Lake using sustainable methods. These include stress-free and low-impact growing techniques and the use of recycled and recyclable materials. As you delight in the creaminess and plumpness of his oysters, it’s easy to understand how they have picked up numerous awards. Call ahead and drop in to buy them direct, fresh from the lake, or look out for them on menus in the South Coast, Sydney and beyond.
Drop into the Oyster Barn
Prepare to unleash your appetite at The Oyster Barn in Merimbula, the farmgate of Merimbula Gourmet Oysters. Owners Pip and Dom Boyton are second-generation oyster farmers, farming Sydney Rock and native Angasi oysters at their family-owned leases at beautiful Merimbula Lake. They serve a delicious range of natural and topped oysters from their revamped oyster shed, tucked among the mangrove forests on the edge of the lake. Indulge in a bottle of BYO bubbly to pair with their seasonal seafood menu, including prawn baguettes, Narooma lobster and belly-warming seafood chowder.
Try the subtle flavours of Broadwater Oysters
Continue your self-guided oyster tour at scenic Pambula Lake, south of Tathra, which has been home to oyster growers for more than 100 years. Here, the clean waters of the Pambula and Yowaka rivers combine with the tides of the Pacific Ocean to produce the smooth, subtle flavour of Broadwater Oysters. Drop into its farmgate to buy opened or unopened Sydney rock oysters from owners Greg Carton and Sue McIntyre, who are rightly proud of their award-winning shellfish.
Sign up for a paddle and shuck tour
Combine two memorable Sapphire Coast experiences in one morning on a Kayak and Shuck tour with Navigate Expeditions. Board a comfortable expedition kayak at the mouth of the Pambula River, travelling upriver to the oyster sheds and leases of Pambula Lake. Here, you’ll disembark for a fun-filled oyster shucking class with the farmers at Broadwater Oysters before sampling their delicious oysters, harvested straight from the lake. Treat yourself to some extra oysters to take home, which can be stowed safely in your kayak as you enjoy a gentle paddle back down the river.
Cast away with Captain Sponge
Take a thrilling adventure behind the scenes on Pambula Lake, between Eden and Merimbula, with Captain Sponge’s Magical Oyster Tours. Brett Weingarth, AKA Captain Sponge, will take you out on the water on a fun (as well as educational) two-hour tour in which you’ll learn all about oyster farming, and get to shuck and taste Sydney Rock oysters fresh from the lake. You’ll then cruise down the Pambula River, where ancient Aboriginal middens — piles of shells — offer evidence that oysters have been popular here for a long time.
Taste creamy and sweet Wonboyn Rock Oysters
Get another taste of eco-friendly oyster farming at Wonboyn Lake, a 30-minute drive south of Eden, which is home to one of the most remote Sydney Rock oyster estuaries on the NSW South Coast. Kel and Caroline Henry have been farming oysters here since 1990, and place a big emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices, including the use of renewable energy. Taste their sweet and creamy Wonboyn Rock Oysters from their oyster shed, where you might get a shucking lesson, too.
Indulge in oyster farm-to-table dining
Feast on the region’s mouth-watering oysters in the comfort of its renowned seafood restaurants. Pair fresh local seafood with ocean views and fine-dining flair at Valentina in Merimbula. Slurp oysters to your heart’s content at Wheeler’s Seafood Restaurant, also in Merimbula, where its own Wheeler’s Oysters are plucked from Merimbula Lake just 500 metres away. Kick off a memorable meal with a serving of succulent local oysters at Mimosa Wines, tucked in a wooded valley between Bermagui and Tathra. And enjoy a long, oyster-laced lunch in the manicured gardens of the historic Seahorse Inn in Boydtown, south of Tathra.
This post was put together using information supplied by Destination NSW, who also supplied the photo which is used with their permission.