Forget farm-to-table, this tour was all about river-to-mouth. Sydney Oyster Farm teach you all about their prized produce, how to shuck them – and you get to eat them too.

Recently featured in iconic Sydney chef Dan Hong’s ‘favourite things to do in Sydney’, a visit to the Sydney Oyster Farm tour has long been on my bucket list. As an avid oyster lover, I was fascinated to learn more about the delicious little delicacies and how Sydney Rock and Pacific Oysters are sustainably farmed, right here in Australia.

I finally ticked off the bucket list experience last weekend, and these are my top tips for making the most of your day.

What is the Sydney Oyster Farm Experience?

The Sydney Oyster Farm Experience offers a guided tour of the Broken Bay oyster farm, nestled along the picturesque Hawkesbury River. Located in Mooney Mooney, just a 45-minute drive north of Sydney’s CBD, it’s the perfect escape for a memorable day out of the city.

Sydney Oyster Farm offers three different experiences:

The Oyster Farm Tour, which costs $95, includes a boat ride to the oyster farm with a guided tour, an oyster shucking lesson on board, 12 fresh oysters per person and the opportunity to BYO alcoholic beverages.

We highly recommend the Immerse Yourself experience, which includes a guided tour and boat ride, as well as the opportunity to wade into the river and shuck oysters while submerged, with a glass of sparkling in hand. You’re also served a generous bowl of juicy prawns to snack on, and BYO booze is welcome. An adult ticket goes for $209 per person.

The most expensive option is the Oyster Elegance experience, which features the boat ride and guided tour, but forgoes the river wading. Instead, you’ll master the art of oyster shucking on a secluded beach, surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Hawkesbury. You’ll also get treated to a gourmet seafood lunch and refreshments alongside your oysters, plus the option to BYO alcohol. This experience will set you back $345.

The Immerse Yourself experience

Bob the tour guide — Bob (right) was our tour guide for the ‘Immerse Yourself’ experience.

The boat tour

The Immerse Yourself experience starts at Kangaroo Point Boat Ramp in Brooklyn. We lined up by the boat ramp for roll-call before being given our waders and heading on to the boat.

There were two boats during our experience: a smaller, open-air one and a larger, covered boat with a toilet and padded seats. If you’re keen on an open-air ride, get there early as it was quick to fill up! Since it was a bit of a colder day and my partner forgot his coat, we were happy to cruise on the larger, comfier boat.

Now, to preface this, although I was somewhat interested in the world of oyster farming, my main motivation for joining this tour was simple – I wanted to eat as many oysters as possible. I was surprised to find the actual tour of the oyster leases and the talks from our tour guide, Bob, super interesting. It helped that Bob was extremely engaging, personable and humorous, apologising for being a self-confessed ‘nerd’ about the world of oyster farming and the architecture of the Hawkesbury. He has been doing the Oyster Farm tours for 19 years, so we knew we were in the best hands.

Learning about the Hawkesbury

We cruised past the striking Long Island, located between Brooklyn and Dangar Island. Long Island is now recognised as sacred Aboriginal land of the Guringai people, and also as a Nature reserve, meaning it is illegal to visit without permission from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. The Main North railway line, which connects Sydney to Newcastle, passes through a tunnel on the eastern end of the island.

As we sailed past the stunning golden rock, Bob told us about the Hawkesbury River sandstone and its role in building the city of Sydney – the Art Gallery of NSW, the NSW State Library and Sydney Town Hall were all built using Hawkesbury sandstone.

This isn’t the only way that Hawkesbury’s natural scenery has been used for construction. The oyster shells in the Hawkesbury have also been used to create cement. Bob taught us about the practice of using oyster shells to produce lime for construction, which was the method used to build Barangaroo’s new Pier Pavilion, which is made from nearly half a million recycled oyster shells.

Exploring the Oyster Farm

After learning about the Hawkesbury River, we arrived at the oyster leases, and Bob began guiding us through the fascinating world of oyster farming.

Did you know that one Sydney rock oyster can filter four litres of water an hour? Or that they don’t have a central nervous system? These are just a few bits of incredible knowledge that Bob shared and it’s his insight that makes this tour so fantastic (even if you originally arrived with food in your mind, like me).

Bob then showed us Boris, the monster Pacific oyster that formed when the oysters were unable to be farmed due to wild weather and the river’s tides. The nutrients in the river and the lack of farming meant that the oyster had grown to an enormous size — almost as big as my head!

Now, some people can be picky about their oysters, especially those who have a preference for Sydney rock over the meatier Pacific oysters. Bob informed us that they mostly farm Pacific oysters, as they reach market size in 18-24 months, while Sydney rock oysters take three to four years. Not to worry, though — Sydney rock oysters are farmed specifically for consumption at the tours, so we were treated to 18 of these fresh, flavourful (and superior) oysters.

Boris the oyster at Sydney Oyster Farm — The huge ‘Boris the oyster’, next to some regular-sized ones.

Wading and Dining

Here it is, the highlight of the experience!

Once we had finished the guided tour, we headed to the dining location, where approximately 20 tables were set up in the river with white tablecloths, a huge bowl of unshucked oysters, bright red prawns, some lemon slices and a zingy vinaigrette.

Oyster Farm table setup — The incredible spread at our table.

We suited up in our waders and were led into the river. The tide was high, with the water going up to my waist, and the crew apologised to the shorter people on the tour, who had to make sure their sleeves weren’t dangling in the river.

We were all handed a glass of fizz, and after some quick pictures, we made our way to the beautifully laid tables. Not so fast though, this is a fully immersive, hands-on experience. Before we could tuck into the feast in front of us, we had to learn how to shuck the oysters.

Sydney oyster farm shucking — Bob teaching us how to shuck oysters.

We gathered around Bob, who taught us how to shuck using the sharp oyster knives. Although the demonstration was great, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I spent a few minutes hacking away at my first oyster before giving up and eating some prawns instead. Luckily, Bob came round to the table and shucked one for me, then went through the process with me again. Before long, my partner and I were pros, racing through the bowl and savouring oyster after oyster.

shucking oysters — We quickly got the hang of shucking the oysters.

If you’re worried about running out of oysters, don’t be. You’re given 36 between two, and by the time I was on my 12th oyster, I was struggling. We managed to polish off every single one, which is quite a feat.

Izzie shucking oysters — My favourite part of the Sydney Oyster Farm tour: oyster time!

I have to shout out the prawns as well — they were the freshest, juiciest prawns I’ve ever had in my life. Dare I say it, if you don’t like oysters, you should still come on the tour just for the prawns.

Once we had finished all our oysters, prawns and bubbles, we headed back to the boat. The whole tour felt very relaxed. We weren’t rushed to get back on the boat and were encouraged to enjoy the wading at our leisure. Once we were all back aboard, we cruised gently back to the pick-up point, content, relaxed and full of oysters.

Oyster farm tables — Our tour group enjoying their dining experience.

My verdict

So, is this the best tour in Sydney? I have to agree with Dan Hong on this one — it is an incredible adventure. From the knowledgeable and chatty tour guides and the stunning scenery of the Hawkesbury to the river dining and delicious fresh oysters, I’ve never had an experience like it.

To top things off, the Sydney Oyster Farm recently achieved ECO Certification with Ecotourism Australia, recognising their devotion to the environment of the Hawkesbury and commitment to sustainable oyster growing and harvesting practices. I would highly recommend booking a tour for one of the most authentic Aussie experiences in Sydney (and one of the best).

the boat ramp Hawkesbury River — Kangaroo Point Boat Ramp, where you’re picked up and dropped off.

Tips and advice

I’ve listed all my top tips to have the best Sydney Oyster Farm experience:

1. Wrap up warm in winter

Looking at these photos, you’d think it was nothing but sunshine and blue skies. Although we were very lucky with the weather, when the sun went over the hill behind us, it quickly got quite chilly. The crew are super helpful, and you can always run back to the boat to get more layers/ take them off, so it’s better to be prepared for cold weather. When wading, the water can quickly make you quite cold, so if you decide to do the ‘Immerse Yourself’ experience, make sure to wrap up.

2. Remember to BYOB

Although you get a complimentary glass of bubbles on the tour, they also welcome you to bring your own drinks, so if you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary (or just want to enjoy your oysters with a bottle of something nice), don’t forget to bring it along.

3. Be careful with your phone

I asked the crew if people often tripped and fell into the river during the wading experience. While they admitted there had been the occasional tumble, they said the most common mishap by far was dropping a phone. As it’s difficult to see in the water, it’s hard to retrieve anything dropped, so make sure you hold on tight to anything valuable.

4. Don’t be late

We were stuck waiting for someone who was running late, and sat on board at the boat ramp while they made their way over. It wasn’t the end of the world by any means, but you don’t want to be that person who made the whole tour wait.

5. Bad weather will not necessarily cancel your tour

When we asked Bob how bad the weather would have to be to call off the tours, he said that he’d once conducted one where there had been pouring rain and even lightning (they had to quickly evacuate). In other words, don’t expect bad weather to cancel your tour, and instead, make sure you’ve got your waterproof at the ready.

Sydney Oyster Farm boat — Throughout the wading experience, you can go back and forth to the boat to grab more layers.

Sydney Oyster Farm Tours

Where: Kangaroo Point Boat Ramp, 1420 Pacific Highway, Brooklyn (next to Luxury Afloat).
When: Currently opening dates all year round on request.
Price: Tours start from $95 per person. The ‘Immerse Yourself’ experience starts at $209 per adult.

sydneyoystertours.com

Sydney Oyster Farm Tour Review – Oysters, River & Bubbles

What is the Sydney Oyster Farm Experience?