"?*:.. ' l':t$* Oceanharvest lr '\{r*::: Wffi Everyonehas their favouritespot, but for this long-distance travellingfamily, the bestseafood of all wason the EyrePeninsula. You'vejustgot to be on the lookout for sharks ilNijjtiill:#i:ij;rliffi MICHAETABOII\ND AT the remotelittle beachof Point Sinclair. for its headline-grabbingocean fatalities. closetoSouth Australia's famed Cactus surf The popularity of Coffin Bay oystersin break in the Great Australian Bight, I someof the country'sbest restaurants is cameacross a smallmemorial plaque .#,, prompting holidaymakersfrom aroundthe bearingthephoto of anll-year-oldboy country to book trips to the source. calledWadeGray Shipard. I However,it paysto checkahead of time Accordingto the sign,in 1975 tuthatwhatyou'rehopingforwillbeavailable q Wadehad swumout from the beach in your preferredpart ofthe coast to greetan incomingcrayfish boat and Spurredby memoriesof visiting Coffin buy someof its catch for his mum. He Bay as a child, SydneysiderMelanie Giufte nevermade it - he wastaken by a shark.Iocals later bookeda post-Christnas holiday there with her honouredWade's memory by building a shark-proof family, having promisedher seafood-lovinghusband an swimmingenclosure alongside thejetty. experienceon a par with previousseafood advenfures at Almost 40 yearslater, looking out at the water from Port Willunga and KangarooIsland. the now-desertedlittle strip of sand,it's easyto imagine "One of my greatestfood memorieswas getting lob- the oceanbobbingwith fishing boats- and eveneasier stersstaight offthe boat at KangarooIsland, and I was to imaginesharks paholling ib depths. hopingforthe samelevel of freshnessat Coffin Bay,"she SA's Eyre Peninsulais scarredby numeroussuch says."It wasn'tthat. We didn't havethe food experience storiesof boysand men losingtheir livesin the pursuit of we were e:ipecting. the best seafoodwe had in Coffin seafoodsought either for themselvesor commercial Baywerethepipis thekids dugup offthebeach." purposes. Giufte saysthe oystersshe bought in the town were At StreakyBay, Sophia Edmunds, one ofthe ownersof below par and out ofseason.Not that she blameslocal the second-generationseafood retailer and wholesaler operatorsfor that, but it standsas a warning to people StreakyBay Marine hoducts, explainedthe absenceof bookingtrips that they shouldtake the time to check scallopsin her shopdisplay. whether their seafoodof choicewill be in seasonwhen "We usedto sell plenty and they're still out there," she theyvisit Shedeclinedtheopportunitytopay$85 akgfor says,but addsthat 10years ago a scallopdiverwas taken lobsterand the prawnsshe bought had beenfrozen. by a shark.She shrugs; the town of 1000 peoplelost its The Giuftes left Coffin Bayand drovejust over2OOkm appetiteforthe sweetwhiteshellfish. north alongthe coastto spenda night at SheakyBay, That death,of diver Paul Bucklandwest of nearby wherethey wereso impressed by the seafoodthey intend Smoky Bay in 2002, is recordedon the websiteof to return next summer. Ceduna'sBusiness and TourismAssociation, alongside Craig McCathie is the owner of seafoodretailer and the namesof 5l others lost during the last century to wholesalerthe Fresh Fish Placein Port Lincoln. the sharksand in boatingmishaps. Many of thoseindividuals nation'sbiggest fishing harbour,23km east of Coffin Bay. werecommercial or recreationalfishermen. He agreesStreaky Bay standsout as a destinationfor Notby accidentis therugged Eyre Peninsula peppered seafoodJovingholidaymakers. withplacesnamed Anxious Bay,Denial Bay,Coffin Bay, The town is small and picturesque,visitors can swim Point Avoid, Mount Misery and CapeAdieu. (within shark nets)and feaston local catchat cafe- Butthe tradepersists,with the rernoteshetctr of coast, restaurantMocean, the StreakyBay Hotel and Streaky 50 minutes{lyinglimefrom Adelaide,stil}* well known BayMarinehoducts. fsr the seafoodthat lured thosefishermen to its depthsas Ghffie rated Moceanhighly, while the flake and blue.