Australia, anyone? Sydney Opera House? Great Barrier Reef? The big red rock in the desert? Nicole Kidman’s flat?Please. Leave those to the tourists. Last week I found a whole other reason to go to Oz….namely, the wonders of the sea-surrounded Eyre Peninsula (pronounced like “air”), a locus of major gastronomic activity that is, currently at least, off the usual tourist radar screens.In fact, the whole state in which the Eyre Peninsula sits–the beautiful state of South Australia, which takes up a geographical position in Australia roughly equivalent to the position of Texas in the U.S.–is ripe for exploration.Now, I know that you’re not about to drop everything and fly halfway around the world tomorrow. And I know that the products I’m about to describe do not have current American distribution. But this is not purely a “vicarious thrill” exercise: I would love you to note all of this carefully, to be among the first Eyre Peninsula visitors from America, when you’re ready…..and to be on the lookout for some of the outstanding comestibles and potables that may be coming this way soon. First and foremost, the Eyre Peninsula is a place to visit if you’re a seafood-lover–for as you go south in Australia, things get colder, fresher. Oyster farming, and tuna farming, are the two largest industries on the peninsula–and you can get a major brush with either if you come to the peninsula’s largest town, Port Lincoln.Tuna is caught wild near the town, and fishing trips are possible. But you can also tour the farms that are growing tuna…..even swim with the tuna in carefully controlled environments, as these incredibly heavy things whiz by you at insane speeds. And….at dinner time…..this is Southern Bluefin Tuna, the antipodal parallel to our prized Northern Bluefin; it’s not quite as fatty, but it is amazingly good, both raw and cooked.The bomb, however, is the oyster bomb. Just across a narrow neck of land from Port Lincoln lies Coffin Bay–which you can approach as a tourist, or as a gastronome. I suggest both–but especially the latter, for these are just about the best non-French oysters I’ve ever tasted. They are Pacific oysters, by species (as are many French oysters, and many Pacific Northwest oysters)–but they’re crunchier than most, firmer, which makes even purists like me love them cooked. However, raw is the best way to go (they say “natural”)–and, just out of the inlet that permits mineral-rich ocean water to mingle with fresh Coffin Bay water, the salty-sweet intensity is a true gastronomic wonder. They serve them in Sydney, they serve them in Perth; someday soon, they may serve them in the U.S.Man, is there more. Kinkawooka mussels. Western king prawns, caught under the darkness of the full moon. Southern rock lobster. Giant cuttlefish at Whyalla, some up to 11 lbs. Blue swimmer crabs. Amazing farmed fish from a new company called Cleanseas, such as Hiramasa Kingfish (something like yellowtail), and Suzuki Mulloway, a tight-grained, full-flavored species.Happy news: they’re ready for ya. The local authorities have recently dubbed the Eyre Peninsula “Australia’s Seafood Frontier,” and they’re expecting visitors. A luxury hotel has gone up in Port Lincoln, the Port Lincoln Hotel (www.portlincolnhotel.com.au), and good restaurants are starting to sprout. On my visit, my favorite was the small and charming The Oysterbeds, right on Coffin Bay, run by a soulful couple named Marion (the cook) and David Trethewey; Marion has the good sense to serve the local aqua-provender simply but beautifully (www.theoysterbeds@bigpond.com).And the Tretheweys provided one more big thrill for me: they have serious Kangaroo Island roots–a massive place, just off the coast of the Eyre Peninsula. Proudly, they served a range of Kangaroo Island wines with lunch: Oh my God! Who knew??? These are exactly the kinds of crisp, light, flavorful wines I want with seafood. I loved the 2008 Sunset Sauvignon Blanc, bone-dry, wispy, lemon-tart, blazing with passion fruit, mint and asparagus. I flipped over the 2006 Bay of Shoals Riesling, which is green, minerally, and white-Rioja-like all at the same time. And the 2008 Chapman River Happiness Rosé, made from Cabernet, is delicate and intense simultaneously, delivering a huge chalky-dusty-veggie payload on a tight frame. Rosé happiness, for me, for sure.Once again, don’t be expecting to find these things right now in the U.S. But wheels are in motion to make export happen; before it does, you should get your own wheels in motion too, like the ones under airplanes.For more background on the Eyre Peninsula, go to their Web site. Can you tell us about any gourmet gem you feel is undiscovered?

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