Moonlight Flat is located in Batemans Bay at the mouth of the Clyde River, 278 km south of Sydney, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Moonlight Flat

Moonlight Flat is located on the estuary of the beautiful and pristine Clyde River near Batemans Bay on the south coast of New South Wales. Its watershed is contained almost entirely in protected and uninhabited country in the Budawang and Morton National Parks. Thanks to the vigilance of the local community the Clyde’s environment and natural flow has been preserved. There are no sewage outflows or polluting industries in the river’s catchment and it is one of the last great rivers in Eastern Australia that remains undammed.

Moonlight Flat Oysters® are cultivated in the tidal estuary of the river near the town of Batemans Bay, where oysters have been farmed since the 1800s. Various locations in the estuary are utilised to cultivate oysters through stages of their growth and to achieve the individual flavour, texture and size of our Clair de Lune Bouton®, Moonlight Flat Angasi, Moonlight en Surface®, Label Rouge® and Rusty Wire varieties.

Moonlight Flat
Along a broad sweep in the river, not far from its mouth into the South Pacific Ocean, vigorous tidal activity delivers a surge of marine nutrients, imparting full‑bodied oyster flavour with a high salinity background. At the onset of spring oysters are brought out of winter depot leases upstream and relocated at Moonlight Flat to pick up the earliest triggers of summer growth. Local folklore says that the special angle of the summer moon casts an extra spell over the oysters fattening in the moonlight.

Mogo Creek
The protected waters of the upper estuary at Mogo Creek provide a safe haven for growing out juvenile oyster spat caught during the summer spawn. Traditional stick and tray cultivation results in a grow‑out period of several years from catch to harvest. The stick oysters are placed ‘in depot' in these quiet waters upstream and away from the main river flow. Sticks are arranged in special bundles to minimise losses to hungry bream.

Each season farmers watch for the first sign of warm water growth—a shiny purple edge around the lip, known as ‘throwing an edge’. The waters of Mogo Creek attract dolphins, pelicans, cranes and eagles, reflecting the natural State Forest environment protecting the Clyde River.

Pelican Reach
Not far from the river mouth, the first shallow side‑branch of the estuary boasts a thick, mangrove‑lined nursery for the new season’s spat, caught during summer spawning months.This area is high in salinity and rich in sun‑generated natural foods filtered by the oysters. Two catching methods are used, traditional stick bundles as well as the more recent single seed method using flexible materials.

High intensity summer sunshine combined with shallower waters in Pelican Reach produce an abundant fertility, clearly visible in the prolific crabs, fish, stingrays, mangroves and sea grass beds.

Clair de Lune Sel Saveur®
Our oyster savoury salt is made in the style of traditional French sel savuer, comprising wholly natural ingredients of seaweed, Moonlight Flat Oysters® and sea salt. READ MORE >


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