Dotted with quaint seaside villages, remote towns and seafood restaurants, the NSW coast from Point Danger in the north near the Coolangatta border to Cape Howe in the south stretches a bit more than 2000 km.
NSW is also home to 220 Chef-hatted restaurants in 2023 and 285 Reader's Choice-awarded restaurants so chances are no matter where you travel along the expansive coastline you’ll find excellent meals and fresh seafood. Boutique fish and chip shops, miles and miles of rugged coastline, a boho luxe feel and thriving marine life combined with a pleasant climate, create some of the 892 recorded beaches in this gorgeous part of our country.
The most well-known fishing communities here include Wallis Lake, Newcastle, Ulladulla, Bermagui, Coffs Harbour, Ballina and the Clarence River. Sydney Fish Market shares a local tip: "The seafood you can purchase from these local businesses is as fresh as it gets; if you time your arrival well, you'll even get to see it being unloaded from the local fleet.”
Sydney Fish Market recommends visiting the Sapphire Coast in southern NSW for its rich abundance of oyster leases, lakes and estuaries. A complete oyster lover's itinerary can be found here.
The northern end of the NSW coast will have you fishing at Coffs Harbour, buying the freshest seafood from the Clarence River Fisherman’s Cooperative in Yamba and surfing in the Ballina region. The areas are all well known for their surfing culture, as well as bars and boutiques, cute towns and small safe harbours.
The blue groper is the official fish of the state, with an abundance of spanner crabs, squid, rock lobsters, swordfish, the Balmain Bug, blacklip abalone, cockles and scallops, Eastern rock lobsters, Murray crayfish, black Tiger prawns, spiny crayfish and yabbies, amongst dozens of others.
If you live in NSW, jump on our Facebook and tell us your fave place to eat seafood.
(Credit: All images are courtesy of Sydney Fish Market).
(Credit: All images are courtesy of Sydney Fish Market).
