Shuck yes: The Narooma Oyster Festival is coming back, baby, to celebrate the best of the south coast's briny, salty, creamy molluscs. Found on the south coast of New South Wales, Narooma is an idyllic coastal town known for its azure waters, brilliant rock formations and playful seals. It’s also one of the best places to grow, shuck and gobble up oysters – in particular, the rock oyster. And if you haven't been to the two-day festival before, we really recommend that you do.
Bringing together growers, chefs and oysters lovers from all over New South Wales, the Narooma Oyster Festival is an epic party for the rock oyster, the region’s stellar produce and Narooma's pristine natural environment.
Over the past 17 years, the humble festival has grown from a small community shindig to establishing itself as southern NSW’s largest food and wine event. In fact, around 70,000 of these bad boys were shucked and devoured at the festival last year – and this year’s soirée is set to be bigger than ever. We can hear the Champagne bottles popping already.
The Narooma Oyster Festival 2024 will kick off on Friday, May 3 to Saturday, May 4 – and the program is jam-packed full of salty fun. Think: Champagne and oyster masterclasses, cooking demonstrations from top chefs, live music and loads more.
Tickets to the Narooma Oyster Festival start from $25 per person for general admission, which you can get here, with some experiences costing more.
It’s a five-hour drive to Narooma from Sydney, so we suggest taking a day or two of well-deserved annual leave and make the most of your time there. Snorkel with seals at Montague Island and spot penguins; catch a wave at Narooma Surf Beach; and take a snap in front of Australia Rock.
In terms of food and drink, you won't go hungry in Narooma. For brekky, head to Salt for big plates, great coffee and some of the best chilli oil we've ever tasted. For a pub lunch and cold beer, swing by Lynch's Narooma, or for a delicious Cantonese feast, Queen Chow Narooma is ace. Plus, Quarterdeck Narooma is a must-visit. It doesn't get much better than gin-clear water views, banging tuna and avo tostadas and a Banana Daiquiri on a sunny afternoon.
Don’t drive? No problem, you can catch a train from Sydney to Bomaderry, and then ride a coach to Narooma.
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