This weekend, me and my 3-year-old toddler were on the hunt for the juiciest, freshest jumbo oysters in Auckland, and we found them in Clevedon Coast Oysters.
As a family of seafood lovers, we have discovered some of the freshest seafood in Australia and New Zealand. From Drake’s Oyster Farm in Sydney to Trawler’s fresh off the boat prawns and crabs in Gold Coast. From the newly revamped Auckland Fish Market to Matakana Oysters.
In this post, we will introduce you to one of the best places to get fresh oysters in East Auckland, New Zealand. Together, we explore Clevedon Coast Oysters and the beautiful Kawakawa Bay. On the way back, we check out the largest Buddhist temple – Fo Guang Shan to complete this fun-filled family day trip.
I took on the challenge of doing a road trip with Kyra alone this weekend. Travelling from Auckland North, the journey along Pohutukawa Coast took just a little over an hour. We broke down the drive in halves, and arrived at Clevedon Coast Oysters smoothly without a toddler fuss!
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Clevedon Coast Oysters
We heard the best jumbo oysters are found at the pristine waters of Hauraki Gulf, and Clevedon Coast Oysters has its own oyster farm right on the backdoor. So without hesitation, this is a must-do Auckland day trip for seafood lovers.
Parking
After driving for half an hour with rural scenery all around, it seemed like all the people from Clevedon were gathered here. I was surprised to see the car park nearly full as we pulled up. We waited around for a little while and managed to squeeze in a space just in front of the shop.
© Photos by Kida
The Shop
Clevedon Coast Oysters are divided into 2 sections. The main shop sells fresh and frozen oyster products, including chilled or frozen, whole-shell or half-shell oysters, oyster pot and oyster soup.
You can choose from 4 different grades, Clevedon Pearls, Premiums, Large or Jumbos. Lucky for us, we only had the choice of Jumbos, and the rest were sold out.
© Photos by Kida
There is a big outdoor seating area on the grass, with a couple of tables under the shelter.
© Photos by Kida
Oyster Galley
Oyster galley opens during the weekends selling cooked and hot seafood. Wooden tables and seats are available in the fenced-off area, making this little corner a family-friendly place to eat and play.
There is a small sandpit kids playground to keep the little ones busy, and it’s within arm’s reach for parents to keep an eye on them.
There is a variety of cooked oysters and seafood to choose from, and the platter looks a-mazing!
© Photos by Kida
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Kawakawa Bay, Auckland
Did you know, you could take away some oysters and enjoy them at the scenic Kawakawa Bay, only 5 minutes away! There are 2 main car parks where you could have picnics in front of a 270° panoramic view of Wairoa Bay.
© Photos by Kida
My favourite vantage point in this area has to be this car park below. Most people stop and take a photo here, but you could totally have the picnic table to yourselves. It comes with a 5-star expansive view of the ocean, for free!
© Photos by Kida
If you prefer to laze on the beach in the sun, drive all the way down to the beachfront car park. It was quite busy on the day we were there, and we struggled to find parking, but with a bit of patience, we managed to find a spot on the grass.
This beach is a popular spot for families to set up their tents and BBQ by the beach. The beach itself is covered in shells and pebbles, but that doesn’t stop the kids from having fun splashing in the water!
© Photos by Kida
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Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple
On the way back home, we checked out the largest Buddhist Temple in New Zealand – Fo Guang Shan Temple.
Our family don’t know enough about Buddhism to comment on the temple, but I really liked how peaceful this place was and the magnificent pagoda and stalls.
In late November, you could catch the cherry blossom festival here!
© Photos by Kida
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