Oyster Beds at Tea Gardens

Oyster Beds Tea Gardens (NSW, Australia)
Watercolour, size 28 x 38 cms
I combined two photos both taken from a ferry from Tea Gardens to Nelson Bay/Port Stevens.
The Sunset reflected on the water was just magical.

Oyster cultivation began in New South Wales (NSW), Australia around 1870 when oyster farmers began to set out sticks, stones, and shells to catch and grow oysters in the intertidal zone until they could be harvested. The main spawning and spat settling season for the Sydney rock oyster in Port Stephens, NSW ranges from February (last month of summer) until May (last month of autumn) when water temperatures are generally above 20°C.

The Sydney rock oyster grows and survives best in intertidal estuarine habitats such as rocks, mangroves, and man-made structures, but it also occurs subtidally on natural dredge beds.

It takes the Sydney rock oyster an average of 3½ years to reach plate size (50 g whole weight.
Live Sydney rock oysters are best stored at 8-10 ºC; at this temperature they can be kept alive in an excellent condition for 2 weeks. Opened oysters, however, should be refrigerated at 4 ºC and have a typical shell life of 7-10 days. The Sydney rock oyster is a gourmet oyster and is best eaten fresh on the half-shell.