In Taree, the World Is Your Oyster

Located on the northern end of the Great Lakes district on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Taree makes an ideal vacation spot for those who are looking for something a little different. Unlike Forster and Port Macquarie, its neighbours to the south and north, Taree has never been developed into a primarily tourist destination. While there is no shortage of Taree accommodation options, this city of 20,000 has been built around its bountiful natural resources.

The biggest landmark in Taree is the "Big Oyster." It is an appropriate one, too, because the Manning River, which skirts the town, produces over 2 1/2 million oysters per year. In Taree, oysters are a big part of the local economy, as are the many crops that grow in the fertile Manning Valley.

Taree was originally developed as a private town in 1854, when Henry Flett set aside 100 acres for its development. The town grew into the administrative centre of the Manning Valley region after the railway line was connected to Taree instead of Wingham in 1913. It remained a fairly small town, unfrequently visited by tourists until the Martin Bridge was built in the 1930s. After that, the town really began to flourish.

The city of Taree is about 10 miles (17kms) inland from the mouth of the Manning River and the Tasman Sea. When the locals want to go to the beach, they usually go to Old Bar, a delightful beachside community that arguably has more square metres of beach sand than residential land. Old Bar is many a surfer’s "secret spot." When no place else is breaking, a surfer can always find a great sandbank wave somewhere along the beach in front of the village.

You could walk up the beach a few miles to Saltwater Point, but most surfers drive in and park in the big parking lot and check out the waves from the top of the point. On its day, Saltwater can be one of the best breaks in the region. Although it’s not exactly a "secret spot," it’s a little out of the way and the local population is small, so it is rarely crowded. Just behind the parking lot is a fantastic campground that is very popular with locals and surfers who know about it.

The campground at Saltwater Point is not unusual in the Taree region. There are many such little places tucked away in the area, both near the beach and in and around the many reserves and National Forests that make up so much of the landscape there.

Then there are the towns and villages surrounding Taree. Towns like Manning Point and Cundletown are not big tourist centres, but are fascinating places to visit that give you a unique look at the Australian lifestyle and landscape.

You can get to Taree by rail, road or air, but the best way to get there is by car. There is so much to do and see in and around Taree, you will want to be able to explore it all at your leisure. Don’t make the mistake of just stopping off in Taree for lunch on your way to someplace else. Stay awhile. You’ll find that in Taree, home of the Big Oyster, the world is your oyster.