Broken Bay Pearl Farm, Mooney Mooney, New South Wales © Destination NSW
Hawkesbury and the Central Coast farm and food experiences
Beyond the Central Coast’s laid-back beaches and the Hawkesbury’s snaking waterways lies a food bowl led by passionate producers.
Taste oysters in the water
Taste oysters in the water
There’s learning to shuck oysters... and then there’s doing it at your own in-water table with a sparkling wine in hand. Just 45 minutes from Sydney, the Hawkesbury River is home to one of Australia’s most memorable food experiences. Join Sydney Oyster Farm Tours to cruise around a working oyster farm, then pull on a pair of waders for an oyster shucking lesson and tasting, right where they’re grown.
Unwind at an alpaca farm stay
Unwind at an alpaca farm stay
If there’s anything better than meeting fluffy alpacas, it’s waking up to them grazing outside your cottage door. Set between the Brokenback Range and Yengo-Wollemi National Park (on the doorstep of the Hunter Valley wine region), Starline Alpacas Farmstay Retreat is made for slowing down. Spend your days dipping into the saltwater pool, meeting the farm’s resident animals and sipping wines at some of Australia’s longest-running cellar doors.
Get the exclusive experience
Get the exclusive experience
From pearls to apples and wines, the Hawkesbury and Central Coast are shaped by generations of producers. And here, they’ll invite you behind the scenes. On a day trip with Sydney Bespoke Tours, discover New South Wales’ only pearl farm, home to rare Akoya pearls. Then settle in for cheese, wine and a two-course lunch in Australia’s oldest wine region.
Celebrate the region’s flavours
Celebrate the region’s flavours
Known as Sydney’s original food bowl, fresh produce sits at the heart of the Hawkesbury. Every October, the region’s farmers, producers and growers come together at Savour the Flavour festival for a celebration of food and drink grown and produced in the Hawkesbury. Expect live cooking demonstrations from MasterChef Australia finalists and local legends, along with apple-pie-eating competitions and live music. This is regional Australia on a platter.
