Straddie Oyster Festival is a must for oyster lovers

If you love fresh ocean oysters, the 2022 Straddie Oyster Festival on Stradbroke Island on November 12 from 10 am to 6 pm is a must. Not only do you get to spend your Saturday day eating Moreton Bay oysters at ridiculously cheap prices, but you can also finish the weekend on North Stradbroke Island, just off the coastline from Brisbane.

Visiting Stradbroke Island is one of my favourite getaways, and I have a great list of things to do on Stradbroke Island.

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Where is the Straddie Oyster Festival?

It is held at Ron Stark Oval in Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island, which is within walking distance of the car ferry wharf, and you’ll see the crowds as the ferry cruises in to land. If you want to take the passenger ferry, it’s about a 15-minute walk from One Mile Jetty to the oval.

Expect an abundance of fresh local Moreton Bay oysters, prawns, crabs and bugs, and oysters Kilpatrick or Mornay, all on the oval at Dunwich. This year the mud crab races will provide lots of fun.

At the last festival, you could purchase a dozen oysters for the bargain price of $15. I can guarantee you will find it hard to stop at one dozen! Remember to bring a cool bag or esky along to the festival to fill full of fresh seafood to take home. Yes, Straddie is single-use plastic bag free.

The oysters grow in the beautifully clear waters of Moreton Bay around North Stradbroke Island. Small and sweet, these oysters make delicious eating, and many are snapped up by Brisbane’s best restaurants for their menus.

Record crowds in previous years meant many stalls sold out by 2pm. This year they are bringing in more oysters so you can keep feasting on your favourite seafood until 6 pm.

It is interesting to chat with the oyster farmers about farming techniques and how and where the tasty local Moreton Bay oysters are farmed. Challenge yourself to a taste test between the different growing conditions.

The day kicks off at 10 am on November 1 and concludes at 6 pm, with plenty of time to make it back to the mainland on the ferry.

Where to find a Stradbroke Island oyster

If you can’t make it to the festival, some oyster farmers like Dialba Oysters sell at the Stradbroke Island Markets. Local oysters are also available at restaurants on the island and increasingly in Brisbane Restaurants such as Otto Ristorante. Rufus King Seafoods at Ashgrove also stocks Straddie oysters. The Stradbroke Island oyster season runs from September through to February.

Where is Stradbroke Island?

Commonly known as Straddie or North Stradbroke Island by locals and frequent visitors, the island lies in Moreton Bay, about 30 kilometres southeast of Brisbane. There is no road to the island, but vehicle ferries run frequently. You’ll need to book ahead to get your car onto the Sealink North Stradbroke Ferry.

There are two water taxi services servicing the island. It takes around 25 minutes. The Stradbroke Passenger Ferry SeaLink service costs $18 adult return. The Stradbroke Flyer costs $20 adult return. Tickets can be purchased online.

Both ferries depart from 3 Emmett Drive, Cleveland, but from different terminals. Street parking is available but limited so allow extra time to find a park.