Fresh Oysters, Port StephensCredit: Destination NSW
Lemon being squeezed on a freshly opened oyster in Port Stephens.
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A New South Wales oyster may be one of the best you’ll ever devour – the state’s extensive bivalve producers regularly take home awards for their creaminess and distinct flavour. Discover the unique characteristics of NSW oysters, and where to sample them, with this comprehensive list of some of the state’s best producers from north to south.
Oyster 101
Complex flavours and lingering sweetness are just two of the reasons Sydney Rock oysters are regularly voted among the best in the world. Native to Australia, these molluscs have been cultivated since the late 1800s, and can now be found up and down the state’s coastline.
Also native to Australia is the Angasi, a flat oyster that’s full-bodied and game-like. These tasty morsels are incredibly rare (due to historical over-harvesting), so if you find one, don’t miss your opportunity to sample something special.
While Pacific oysters are a relative newcomer to Australia’s waters, introduced from Japan in the 1940s, they’re one of the country’s most farmed varieties. There’s a reason for their popularity: slightly larger and firmer than Sydney Rocks, Pacific oysters are fresh, sweet and briny.
Sydney
There are dozens of places to sample oysters in Sydney, but one can’t go past the perennially bustling Sydney Fish Market for a selection of the state’s finest (alongside everything else from the sea). Pick up a dozen and head for a bench outside to enjoy them overlooking the water.
Fresh oysters Credit: Mark Sherborne; Destination NSW
Fresh natural oysters served at Waterfront Restaurant, The Rocks
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Fresh oysters Credit: Mark Sherborne; Destination NSW
Fresh natural oysters served at Waterfront Restaurant, The Rocks
Sydney Fish Market Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont
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Sydney Fish Market Credit: James Horan; Destination NSW
Sydney Fish Market, Pyrmont
Heading south
The southern coastline of NSW is oyster heaven – the coastline is characterised by oyster sheds, wharves, markets and restaurants where sampling freshly shucked produce should be the most essential part of visiting the region.
Shuckers don’t get much faster than loud-shirt-wearing Jim of Jim Wild’s Oysters, an oyster shack at Greenwell Point near Nowra (160km south of Sydney). The estuary of the Crookhaven River is the breeding ground for Jim’s distinctive Sydney Rock and Pacific oysters.
Travel south a further 115km to discover The Farm Gate and Oyster Shed on Wray Street and Pearly Oyster Bar and Farm on the banks of the Clyde River at Batemans Bay. Order shucked Sydney Rocks and Angasi oysters while soaking up sublime views. If you’re keen to hit the very water they’re grown in, consider Region X’s Oyster Tasting Kayak Tour where, over a two-hour tour, punters kayak the river, sample delicacies and meet a fourth-generation oyster farmer.
If you time your visit to popular South Coast town Narooma in May, you’ll encounter the Narooma Oyster Festival, an annual festivity where local growers, shellars and shuckers gather to celebrate the Sydney Rock oyster. While you’re there, be sure to drop into The Oyster Farmers Daughter, an outdoor bar serving cocktails and seafood on the shore of the Wagonga Inlet.
At Tathra Oysters try Sydney Rocks grown in the waters of Nelson’s Lake in Mimosa Rocks National Park. From here, drive 30km to The Oyster Barn, a pristine farm gate located on Merimbula Lake. A little further on, at Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar in Pambula, you can take a guided tour of the oyster factory. And at Broadwater Oysters you can grab and go, sit in and relax by the lake, or go to ‘oyster school’, led by an expert. If you’d prefer to get among the oyster action, book in to Navigate Expeditions’ Kayak and Shuck tour where you’ll paddle the Pambula River and learn all about oysters and how to shuck them at Broadwater Oysters. Wonboyn Rock Oysters is the furthest south, a 47km drive from Eden on the Sapphire Coast. Here sample Sydney Rocks from the pristine waters of one of NSW's most remote estuaries: Wonboyn Lake.
Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay.
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Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Wray Street Oyster Shed, Batemans Bay.
Narooma Oyster Festival, Narooma Credit: Narooma Oyster Festival
A plate of freshly shucked oysters by the water, Narooma Oyster Festival
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Narooma Oyster Festival, Narooma Credit: Narooma Oyster Festival
A plate of freshly shucked oysters by the water, Narooma Oyster Festival
Heading north
The northern coastline of NSW is just as treasure-filled for oyster lovers. Just an hour’s drive from Sydney, the Hawkesbury River boasts a thriving oyster industry. The Floating Oyster Wine Bar in Brooklyn allows guests to sit back and relax on a river cruise, all while sampling the region’s finest.
In the town of Mooney Mooney, the Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed is a small local oyster farm supplying molluscs straight from the source. Just next door, you’ll find Broken Bay Pearl Farm, a special ‘shellar door’ offering an array of oyster farm tours, as well as the opportunity to try Broken Bay Akoya pearl oysters, a first in NSW. Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, also in Mooney Mooney, is a unique experience where visitors can don waders and try oysters right in the water to truly appreciate the merroir. A little further north, in Woy Woy the Brisbane Water Oyster Festival takes place every November, a day-long festival where oysters, food and wine are at the forefront.
Further up the coast, the Soldiers Point peninsula juts from the southern shore of Port Stephens. It’s here you’ll find family-owned Holberts Oyster Farm, where you can enjoy a dozen or so at a waterside table with a bottle of wine.
In Forster sample the produce of Graham Barclay Oysters, believed to be the state’s largest supplier of Sydney Rocks. A little further north, part of the Great Lakes area where you can surf, fish, swim and kayak around crystal-clear waters, you’ll find Brighton Oysters, an oyster farm experience on the Manning River offering boat tours and education sessions. Nearby, just outside of Taree, Stones Oysters and Shed Takeaway is the ultimate place to stock up on fresh oysters, prawns, lobsters, crabs and just-caught fish.
Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, Mooney Mooney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney oyster farm tours offer oyster farm tours 45 minutes from Sydney's CBD. Their tours take participants on a boat ride out to the oyster leases to learn about the evolution of farming and see the current cultivation methods they use to bring you the beautiful Sydney Rock and Pacific Oysters you love.
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Sydney Oyster Farm Tours, Mooney Mooney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney oyster farm tours offer oyster farm tours 45 minutes from Sydney's CBD. Their tours take participants on a boat ride out to the oyster leases to learn about the evolution of farming and see the current cultivation methods they use to bring you the beautiful Sydney Rock and Pacific Oysters you love.
Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink with views across Brisbane Water at Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy.
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Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink with views across Brisbane Water at Woy Woy Fishermen's Wharf, Woy Woy.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.