Australia’s Best Oyster Farmgates, from Tasmania to New South Wales

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When it comes to Australian oysters, most can be divided into one of two faiths: rocks and Pacifics (read a more detailed explanation here). Prized for their sweet, creamy plumpness, Pacific oysters can be bred to be as tiny as a pinky fingernail or as large as a catcher’s mitt, and they thrive in Tasmania and South Australia’s cooler waters. Sydney rock oysters are native to Australia and New Zealand and love temperate climates. They’re usually no longer than a thumb, with a thick shell and a taut, briny flavour that puts them on equal footing with the world’s best.

Batemans Bay, NSW
Built around the tidal Clyde River and virtually surrounded by national parks, it’s no surprise this town is an oyster powerhouse. Top chefs up and down the east coast know it as the home of Moonlight Flat, a revered 20-year-old operation that unfortunately doesn’t sell direct to the public. Never mind. There are plenty of places in and around town to get your fix, like The Oyster Shed, a blue weatherboard shack right on the water that sells Sydney rock and Pacific oysters as they are, or with a range of dressings.

Freycinet, Tas
This is wild country, where the pink granite of the Hazards glow in the right light, seal colonies bask on rocks in the hundreds and sun-bleached whale bones wash up on the cool shores of Wineglass Bay. It’s also perfect water for Pacific oysters. Buy them from Freycinet Marine Farm, grab a bottle of wine, get your feet sandy down by the water and watch for whales.

Coffin Bay, SA
This is the name of both a sleepy town and the azure body of water it faces – a haven for dolphins, seals and sea lions. Pacific and native angasi oyster leases fuel this pocket of SA. Taste them at the breezy Oyster HQ restaurant on the Esplanade or pull on a pair of waders and head into the shallows for oysters shucked right out of the water with sister business Oyster Farm Tours.

Kangaroo Island, SA
Australia’s third-largest island has 500 kilometres of coastline, a dense wildlife populace and a whole lot of nature-based adventure. Make for the Oyster Farm Shop near American River Jetty for a wealth of local seafood, including Pacific and native angasi oysters, straight from the source.

Wallis Lake, NSW
The crystal blue waters fed by the Wallamba and Coologolook rivers create an ideal breeding ground for beautiful Sydney rock oysters – and a perfect place to holiday. Wallis Lake empties into the ocean between the bridge-linked twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry. Right by the bridge is East 33, a cooperative founded by industry titans, including the Diemars, a fifth-generation oyster-farming family that got started in 1884. Bring home the goods from water-front fine diner Thirty Three Degrees, East 33’s impressive “shellar” door, or sit in to eat and enjoy views of the water they grow in.

Wapengo Lake, NSW
Around half an hour’s drive from Bermagui, this is one of the most pristine bodies of water on NSW’s Sapphire Coast. It’s a popular fishing spot for flathead, and oyster leases have been running here since the 1890s. Of the eight farms on the lake, our pick is Shane Buckley’s Wild Organic Oysters, a certified organic operation that harvests some of the best Sydney rock oysters in the state. Call ahead and drop in five days a week to buy direct.