Back before oysters were considered a delicacy, South Australia's Coffin Bay would often supply Adelaide's jails with buckets of the shellfish. The thought of prisoners being regularly served free oysters may be galling today, when I struggle to find a city restaurant that sells them for less than $50 a dozen (who's the real criminal?!). But it's worth remembering that back then, the oysters had often gone off by the time they reached the jails, making the inmates ill. And, importantly, they weren't served with a glass of sparkling wine, which is how I'm tasting mine on a sunny morning here in Coffin Bay itself.
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On the southwest of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, about 30 minutes' drive from Port Lincoln, Coffin Bay is one of the country's premier producers of oysters. While there's an impressive variety of things to do on my road trip through the region, the focus today is the seafood, which is why I've come out with Oyster Farm Tours to learn more about the industry.
Dressed in waterproof waders, I step from the beach into the bay and splash my way out to a semi-submerged platform. There are benches around the edge, so I and the 10 other guests take a seat, our feet dangling in the water. We all face inwards where our guide, Alessio, explains how these "kidneys of the sea" go from being microscopic eggs to a pricey entrée.
"If we farm on Monday morning, they'll reach Adelaide by the next day, then Melbourne by Wednesday. But there's one place they reach earlier than Melbourne - Hong Kong," he explains. But you know who gets them even sooner than diners in Hong Kong? Me, today!
Alessio is charming and funny, and quickly has the group eating out of the palm of his hand... which is fitting, because a large part of the tour is tasting the Coffin Bay oysters that he's giving us. The meat comes still ensconced in shells, so there's also a lesson in shucking. I'm glad we've been lent protective gloves because the blade comes a bit too close to my hand the first few attempts, although I soon improve, earning the fresh treats.
Despite its name, Oyster Farm Tours hosts these sessions among the wooden posts of a historic and now unused lease, with the actual farming taking place about 30 minutes away by boat across the bay. There are other companies in Coffin Bay that can take you on a cruise to nearby farms for a firsthand look at the operations, but these experiences take a few hours. One of the reasons the tasting tour I'm taking is so popular is that it happens a short stroll from the centre of town, doesn't take too long, and ends at the Oyster HQ restaurant, where you might like to try a seafood platter (and maybe another glass of wine).
The township of Coffin Bay is quite compact, with a population of less than a thousand residents. I'm staying at Discovery Parks, popular with caravanners exploring South Australia but also offering affordable cabins (two bedrooms from $104/night) and deluxe safari tents (from $135/night). Sitting on the balcony in the evening, I watch a group of kangaroos grazing on the grass right in front of me, while a pair of emus walk by not far away.
From here, I can walk to dinner at 1802 Oyster Bar, a restaurant named for the year that Matthew Flinders arrived in the bay, which the large wooden deck now overlooks, offering a glorious spot for sunset. Although there are a few places to eat in Coffin Bay, this is probably the most upmarket. Even so, a dozen natural oysters cost only $36, much cheaper than you'll normally find in capital cities - the benefit of eating them fresh from the farm, with no need for any of the usual refrigerated transportation. If a dozen natural sounds too much, try the interesting topping options, including cucumber, gin and dill, or burnt lemon, trout caviar and herb oil.
A visit to Coffin Bay is normally part of a longer trip on the stunning Eyre Peninsula, taking in the dramatic cliffs and turquoise waters. Yet it's still worth carving out some time for the Coffin Bay National Park to explore its massive sand dunes, pounding surf beaches and tranquil bays. A variety of hiking trails will take you through spectacular wilderness of coastal heath and low mallee, past blowholes, into the dunes, or to sparkling swimming spots. With a 4WD, you can reach the isolated beaches, but there's plenty to access with other vehicles.
Coffin Bay may not have as many things to see in town as Port Lincoln or even Streaky Bay, but that's part of the charm of this laidback community. One way to explore is the Oyster Walk, a 15-kilometre trail that includes a loop up to a lookout and a path along the shore to Old Oyster Town, the original spot where the oyster industry started in the 1840s. Now, it's marked by a couple of shacks within a conservation park, but it's a reminder of a time when oysters grew here naturally and bountifully.
These days they may only be farmed, not fished, and they may be seen as an indulgence, rather than food for prisoners, but the oysters still define Coffin Bay. To be in the water eating them fresh is, as they say, worth the wade.
- Michael Turtle was supported by the South Australian Tourism Commission. You can see more things to do in Coffin Bay on his Travel Australia Today website.
Michael Turtle
Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in television to travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-known places, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals along the way.
Michael Turtle is an Australian journalist who left his job in television to travel the world forever. He'll show you how to find the lesser-known places, get involved in the culture, learn the history, and meet locals along the way.
