A broad and sheltered bay which opens onto the Tasman Sea in its south, Great Oyster Bay is one of the most scenic stretches of water in Australia. The Tasman Highway runs close to the West Coast of the bay with spectacular views of the rugged granite peaks of the Hazards of the Freycinet Peninsula which are incorporated in the Freycinet National Park, and Schouten and Maria Islands to the south. Sea kayaking in the sheltered waters on the east side of the bay from Coles Bay is very popular, with many small and isolated beaches on the Freycinet Peninsula to explore. Recreational fishing is also popular activity in the bay with flathead, Australian salmon, trevally, trumpeter and squid regularly caught. Dolphins and Australian Fur Seals can often be seen and whales often frequent the bay in winter.



Prior to European settlement the area was occupied by Tasmanian Aborigines. From autumn through winter various bands of the Oyster Bay Tribe congregated around the coastal areas to harvest shellfish and marine vegetables until the end of July, when swans and ducks arrived in the lagoons and riverine areas to lay their eggs and raise their young. Aquaculture has been practiced in the area since the early 1970s. Species cultivated commercially include Pacific oysters, native oysters, mussels, scallops, abalone and sea urchins in the Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage. An initial marine farming lease set up in 1978 in Pelican Bay, with additional leases granted for shellfish culture since then in the northern section of Great Oyster Bay and the Swan River.



There are many vantage points along the Tasman Highway between the Coles Bay turn-off and Orford where you can stop and take photographs of this extremly picturesque stretch of water. One of the best, at the top of end of the bay is is just past the Coles Bay turn-off when travelling south, at the village of Apslawn, near Shelbourne Road. From the Great Oyster Bay Lookout you can enjoy a panoramic view across the top end of the bay towards The Hazard Mountains on Freycinet Peninsula.