Broadwater Oysters, PambulaCredit: Destination NSW
Broadwater Oysters is a working oyster shed where visitors book farm tours or learn to shuck fresh oysters from the pros in their fun-filled shuck schools.
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Oysters need the clearest, cleanest waters to thrive, and the waters around the Sapphire Coast, are some of the most pristine in the state. For that reason, the southern New South Wales region, just north of the border with Vicotria, is known as one of the best oyster regions in the country. Get to the coast during the season – October to June – to try the best.
Taste the famous Tathra Oysters
Just outside the seaside town of Tathra, Gary and Jo Rodely, along with their son Sam, own and run Tathra Oysters, a humble oyster farm and shop that has been lauded as one of the best Sydney rock oyster farms in the country. The oysters are grown with a minimal intervention philosophy in the pristine waters of Nelson Lake, which lies just north of Tathra in the Mimosa Rocks National Park. They’re so prized you’ll find them on the menus of some of the most renowned, award-winning restaurants in Sydney. But when you’re in Tathra, you can just walk into the farm’s shop and have them freshly shucked in front of you. To guarantee availability and maximum freshness, visit during the season – December to July.
Go organic at Wapengo Rocks
Also in Mimosa Rocks National Park, Wapengo Lake is home to the spectacular organic produce of oyster wrangler Shane Buckley. His farm, Wapengo Rocks, has picked up numerous awards (check their run at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show) as well as praise for its sustainable farming practices, like using only recycled materials and a floating platform that encourages the growth of native seagrasses, which can be limited by the shade produced by traditional fixed oyster farms. If you’re there during the season, late October to late June or early July, you can pick them up straight from the farm, just make sure to call before you go to ensure someone can be there to help.
Tathra Hotel, Tathra Credit: Destination NSW
Fresh Sydney Rock Oysters on the menu at Tathra Hotel, Tathra.
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Tathra Hotel, Tathra Credit: Destination NSW
Fresh Sydney Rock Oysters on the menu at Tathra Hotel, Tathra.
Sapphire Coast Guiding Co., Merimbula Credit: Destination NSW
Exploring the Sapphire coastal wilderness, pristine coastline, Tathra Wharf as well as enjoying local produce. Camping experience. Expert guidance.
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Sapphire Coast Guiding Co., Merimbula Credit: Destination NSW
Exploring the Sapphire coastal wilderness, pristine coastline, Tathra Wharf as well as enjoying local produce. Camping experience. Expert guidance.
An oyster bar on the water at Merimbula Gourmet Oysters
On the edge of the clear sapphire waters of Merimbula Lake, lies a cute barn with a weathered sign displaying the day’s catch, and a deck overlooking an oyster farm. Order a platter of oysters and a plate of prawns, sit with the sun on your face and watch the quiet happenings of the lake. It’s called The Oyster Barn and it’s the farm gate shop and oyster bar by Pip and Dom Boyton of Merimbula Gourmet Oysters.
Pambula Lake’s finest, shucked, unshucked or bottled at Broadwater Oysters
A half-hour drive south of Tathra, Pambula Lake 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 perfect conditions for a quality-focused farm like Broadwater Oysters. Owners Greg Carton and Sue McIntyre have been running the farm for more than two decades, and are rightly proud of their award-winning oysters, which you can buy shucked, unshucked or bottled, direct from the source. Or book in for a farm tour and shucking course, and learn to do it yourself.
Tour the river and the farm with Captain Sponge
Go behind the scenes on Pambula Lake, between Eden and Merimbula, with Captain Sponges Magical Oyster Tours. Brett Weingarth, AKA Captain Sponge, will take you out on a fun (as well as educational) two-hour tour in which you’ll learn all about oyster farming from someone in the business, 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 — distinct concentrations of shell remnants — offer evidence that oysters have been popular here for a very long time.
Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula
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Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula
Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula
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Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Captain Sponge's Magical Oyster Tour, Pambula
30 years of sustainable oyster farming at Womboyn Rock Oysters
Wonboyn Lake, a 30-minute drive south of Eden, is one of the most remote Sydney rock oyster estuaries on the New South Wales South coast. Kel and Caroline Henry have been farming oysters here for over 30 years, and place a big emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices. Their award-winning Wonboyn Rock Oysters are available from their oyster shed, where you might get a shucking lesson too. To ensure a fresh farm gate experience, drop in during the season and call before you go.
Sample the best at Sapphire Coast’s top restaurants and bars
After a farm visit or a river tour, settle on a bar stool or a luxe dining room where the Sapphire Coast’s best chefs will deliver their favourite oysters from the region. If you’re coming down from Sydney, stop by Tuross Boatshed and Cafe for a cuppa and a half dozen on the water (and maybe even a swim) in Tuross Head. Just further down, in Narooma, The Oyster Farmer's Daughter delivers exactly what it promises with farm-to-table oysters served to a sunny courtyard alongside cocktails and water views.
Heading south, stop in Bermagui for a fine dining lunch including Wapengo oysters at Mimosa Wines or grab a takeaway box from the 50+ year old fish and chipper Blue Wave Seafood. If you’re staying in Tathra, local institution Tathra Hotel has a sunny deck and options for natural or Korean-style (gochujang and garlic butter dressing) oysters.
Merimbula and Pambula have a diversity of options, including stylised Mediterranean award winner Valentina which plates up both mignonette and natural, and modern Asian Kitty’s Bar and Dining is the only place on the coast to get half a dozen dressed in Chinese red vinegar. For a more relaxed setting, head to the Merimbula Wharf and have your dozen delivered to a table overlooking the bay. Just over the bridge in Pambula, Wheelers Seafood serves up the local delicacy three ways - natural, with finger lime and pepper, or Kilpatrick style.
Glamp and stay on the bay
Base yourself in the Tathra area for a quick trip to Wapengo or easy access to the town’s famous oysters. Glamp by the water at Tathra Beach Eco Camp or the secluded Tanja Lagoon Camp. In town, the Tathra Hotel has humble rooms with spectacular ocean views. Or settle closer to the sustainable oyster farms around Merimbula and Pambula at The Hillcrest Motel, a stylish motel refurb with a retro 1970s touch. Further south, closer to oysters of Wonboyn Lake, bunk in Eden at Hotel Australasia, a century-old build with a colourful renovation, or Seahorse Inn, an 1840 manor transformed into a boutique bay-side hotel. If you’re travelling with a big group ready for a unique weekend, book the heritage cottages at the Green Cape Lightstation – you’ll be rewarded with the best view on the coast.
Tathra Hotel, Tathra Credit: Destination NSW
Fresh Sydney Rock Oysters on the menu at Tathra Hotel, Tathra.
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Tathra Hotel, Tathra Credit: Destination NSW
Fresh Sydney Rock Oysters on the menu at Tathra Hotel, Tathra.
Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic grounds of Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant, Pambula
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Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic grounds of Wheeler's Seafood Restaurant, Pambula
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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.