Coffin Bay - Oyster Walks

There are numerous ways to experience that special something that is Coffin Bay. The town's Oyster Walk takes in the picturesque inner bays with their assortment of seaside shacks and the moorings for the obligatory boat. Back in its earliest days this was called Oyster Town. By 1870, at least thirty cutters were dredging for native oysters in these waterways with an average of 60 thousand bushels a year bound for export markets. Now the native oysters are gone and locals like Bill Stenson are cultivating pacific oysters in some of the cleanest waters in Australia. And on the trip out to the deeper tidal water, the boom in the oyster industry becomes very apparent. For Bill, a former commercial fisherman this is just another day at the office and the flat bottomed boat the only way to commute to work. And on the way out you pass some magnificent scenery with a national park to one side and rolling farm land on the other. And when you arrive at Bills business address the only suit you'll find out here is a "wettie". "So how deep are we here Bill?" "About four feet at the moment." "And there's that constant tidal movement?" "There's a very good tide flow out here Ron. Probably about four or five times the strength of tide as we do in the inner bay. That's why the oysters do so well out in this environment." "You've always lived out here haven't you?" "Yes." "Have you ever got sick of the view?" "Never, never you have a look around you this is my office."

Bill recently took over the original Coffin Bay oyster Lease and transferred part of his stock from the he shallower warmer waters near town and they appear to relish the move. "That's what we bought them at. That's what they start at? And in six weeks they're sort of up to that." " And in three and a bit years?" "Oh well out here I'd expect to be turning them over in two years." For bill, each one of these represents the grand total of 32 cents. It makes for a pretty good living for a bloke who's spent plenty of time in the tranquil waters of Coffin bay. "As a kid we used to come out to areas not far from here and we'd dive and get two or three wheat bags of the old native mud oysters, take em home and eat em up." "And so you're still out here?" "Yes still here, growing them." Black Springs is just one of the many lonely beaches which skirt the National Park.

As a young lad Bill would round up horses in this coastal scrub. "I think it's just the untouched part of it, it's a real wilderness area you can go and see horses and then in the early days there was cattle and sheep down there. There's an old dairy not farm from where we are that operated before the turn of the century." "There was a dairy here?" "Yes down here." "In the scrub?" "Yes in the scrub." As you cruise these waters, reminders of the past are everywhere. The Old Mount Dutton Bay Woodshed once held up to 1200 sheep, with ketches coming in regularly to pick up the latest wool clip. And for locals and tourists alike, a day on the water offers so much in history and sheer physical beauty. "Oh yes it changes, as you go along the coast it's forever changing. And one of the beauties of the bay system is that wherever the wind blows from you can always find a little secluded spot. We're just getting a little bit of breeze now but if we were to sneak down to the corner two or three hundred yards we'd find a beach with not a foot print on it." It's remoteness means those who really know how to fish these waters are never far away. "Out here it really is a case of nature writes it large, from the giant sandhills that roll down to the coast and the waters of magnificent Coffin Bay and incredible array of marine life."

In about ninety minutes on the bay, we came across a hammerhead shark which made Bill's speedy runabout seem pedestrian at best. And another bloke who couldn't care less - a beautiful seal lounging about in the water. Just metres away a stingray scouring the crystal clear waters for an afternoon feed. And on the way home those who simply had to show off what's on offer to keen anglers at Coffin Bay. Experiencing it from land is one thing, but a trip on the water enables you to uncover the real secrets of this magnificent waterway. It's sheer beauty and relaxed lifestyle explain why more people are making their way here and why the quaint shacks now compete with the likes of the newly completed Sheoak Holiday Homes. They're fully self contained and offer superb views from the upper deck. While you may not have caught all this you can dream and take in the magnificence of this idyllic coastal setting as the sun sets on the Oyster Walk and another day on the Bay. For Bookings at the Sheoak Holiday Homes contact (08) 8685 4314. Each sleeps up to ten people comfortably and include two bathrooms and a spa. The tariff starts at $100 a night. For details regarding boating on the bay on contact Coffin Bay Hire Boat Haven on (08) 8685 4277.

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