Tom Walters at Matakana Oysters
Resident canine at Matakana Oysters (must make a note to ask for the name). I think there used to be a rooster too, at one point.
An impressive record collection.
And a historical record of the types of beers drunk over the years.
The Green Shed with a little outdoor seating space. Most people show up and takeaway the oysters, so it’s more takeaway than “dine-in”. The Green Shed is where the oysters are split, sized, sorted and processed.
Oysters that are naturally caught on a stick are clumped together and need gentle prising apart so they do not break, All of this splitting and prising takes a good deal of patience. I guess the record collection does come in handy after all.
The “wet suits” for oyster harvesting. The early part of the morning (think 4 am or so) is when the harvesting is done. Later in the day, the oysters are sold at the shed.
The technology of the last century sits nicely with the iPads of today.
A gift that’s very cherished. It’s often the small, personalised gifts that matter most.
The day we got to Matakana Oysters, the store was open. But looking outside, we saw the “closed” sign. Ironically, that was also the day Auckland pretty much closed for the “rest of the year”. We slipped into what would turn out to be a four month lockdown that spanned mid August-mid December 2021.
However, that’s not the only “closed” situation. The waters are warming up quite a bit, and that definitely affects the harvest. How far in the future will that be, no one is sure, but that closed sign is more ominous than it looks.
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Related pages on Matakana
Matakana Farmers Market (Part 1)
Matakana Farmers Market (Part 2)
Brick Bay: Olive Picking
Brick Bay: Grape Picking
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Matakana Smokehouse
Matakana Oysters
Bon Apétit Crêperie