Narooma Oyster Festival

2009 Narooma Oyster Festival

Gorgeous weather greeted the record crowds at the award-winning Narooma Oyster Festival from 15-17th May. The festival was once again a weekend of high-class feasting and entertainment surrounded by the pristine natural environment of the Narooma region.

The Welcome to Country on Friday evening was an inspiring greeting from the Yuin people, and a sizeable crowd joined in with traditional dances and songs performed by Aunty Noeline and the wonderful Ghudjargah dancers. This was followed a spectacular fireworks display - which was once again a festival highlight.

freshest produce & finest oysters A huge community parade kicked off proceedings on Saturday before some 7,000 people converged on Riverside Drive to taste the freshest produce and finest oysters on the planet and watch the region’s chef artisans demonstrate their culinary skills. Among the many outstanding cooks was celebrity chef Stephanie Alexander, who judged the recipes in the final of the Oyster Cooking Competition. The two Narooma-based winners, Dorn Phillips with her Thai Oyster Soup and Whale Restaurant chef Damon Lane (cooking colleague Gilbert Prevost’s finger lime oysters) fought off strong competition from interstate to win the best cooked and uncooked oyster sections.

food & wine by the inlet Food stalls of every description lines the shores of the lovely Wagonga Inlet – selling produce ranging from Oysters Kilpatrick to Indian curries to CWA scones - washed down with chilli wine or something a little less fiery from one of the many wine and beverage providers. There was complimentary boutique beer tasting at the Fosters Beer Truck and free cooked and uncooked oysters handed out in their dozens in the main marquee and following each round of a fiercely-contested Oyster Shucking Competition.

competitions, art & music Despite fears that fingers might be lost, the shuckers emerged relatively unscathed from the competition and winner John Yiannaros was $1,000 richer for the experience. Golfers in their hundreds teed up for the chance to win $100,000. The 11 who managed to hit the floating green 125m out on Wagonga Inlet lined up for the final and attempted to score a hole-in-one to win the money. While no one took home the cash this time, they gleaned invaluable tips for next year’s challenge.  Art and craft was also strongly showcased at the festival, with the Aboriginal art marquee proving a particular hit. The quality of the live music was another highlight, with nationally recognised performers such as Victoria Baillie and Beautifully Mad playing at one end of the site, and the wonderful Bay Pipe Band and Moruya & District Brass Band at the other.

festival atmosphere Children had a ball - with a selection of rides for just $5 all day and camels rides and face painting on offer, parents were free to relax and enjoy the festival atmosphere. And as the curtain fell on the site on Saturday afternoon, the Pearls of Wisdom church service and Oyster Ball ensured events continued elsewhere in Narooma well into the evening. Sunday morning saw some memorable performances at the waterfront Poet’s Breakfast before Beautifully Mad rounded out the festival in sublime fashion with a wonderful performance in one of the loveliest settings imaginable. See you next year!