Broken Bay: Pearl & Oyster Farm Tour on Hawkesbury River

4.88

(147 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We slid open the door of the “Shellar Door” right on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. The air had that salty, mineral smell you only get near tidal water — kind of sharp but fresh. Our guide, Sarah, waved us over with a grin and started talking about how this is the only pearl farm in New South Wales. She handed me a shell — rougher than I thought — and explained how they raise pearls here, not just oysters for eating. I was still fiddling with it when she laughed and said most people drop them their first time. (I almost did.)

We walked along the edge where you could hear gulls arguing overhead and see old wooden racks stretching into the river. Sarah pointed out which ones were for oysters and which were for pearls — apparently there’s a whole science to it. She told us about her uncle who’d worked these waters since he was a teenager; she made it sound like everyone in town has some story connected to this place. The water was glassy that morning but every so often you’d catch a breeze that smelled faintly briny, like seaweed drying in the sun. I kept thinking how close we were to Sydney but it felt like another world.

At one point we tried grading pearls ourselves — not as easy as it looks. Sarah showed us how to spot tiny flaws under this little lamp, holding each pearl up so its surface caught the light just right. My hands shook a bit (nervous? too much coffee?) and she joked that nobody gets it perfect on their first go. There was this quiet moment when everyone just stared at their own pearl, trying to see what made each one different. Kind of meditative actually.

I left with river mud on my shoes and something like gratitude stuck in my head — not sure why exactly, maybe just seeing people care so much about something small and slow-growing. If you’re even half-curious about where pearls come from or just want an excuse to breathe some salt air outside Sydney, this day trip to Broken Bay Pearl Farm is worth it.