South Australia boasts some of the most accessible provenance in the country, with delectable orchards and award-winning wineries just minutes from the CBD of Adelaide. Skip the store and go straight to the source for the ultimate paddock to plate experience. Embark on a cherry-picking adventure, pluck strawberries straight from the soil, or hop between bountiful orchards flush with apples, pears figs and apricots. Direct from the farm to your fruit bowl, take the pick of the crop with our guide to the best places to pick your own fruit in South Australia.
CHERRIES
As the weather warms up, cherry orchards around South Australia overflow with fruit, heralding the start of festive season. The cherry on top? Jump in your car and within minutes of the city, you'll be plucking ruby-red fruit fresh for yourself with dozens of cherry farms in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula. Some of our top picks include Harben Vale pick your own cherries, Cherries at Verdun, Martin Hill Cherries and Lennane Orchards, Harrisville Orchards and Fleurieu Cherries just outside Willunga. Download the 2021 cherry map for SA and follow your taste buds on the ultimate road trip!
STRAWBERRIES
Nothing compares to that moment when you bite into a perfectly ripe strawberry only to be met with a sweet taste explosion. Sound enticing? imagine the flavour when it is freshly picked. South Australia is jam-packed with strawberry farms where you can do just that. Nestled in the Adelaide Hills, picking your own strawberries at Beerenberg Farm in Hahndorf is a rite of passage for locals and visitors alike and has put fruit picking in SA on the map. While you are there, you can stock up on some of their famous jams from the farm shop. You'll also find a pick-your-own strawberry patch at Harvest the Fleurieu in Mount Compass, and depending on the season you can also harvest farm-fresh blueberries, raspberries, tayberries, blackberries, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines and a host of vegetables. Looking for farm-fresh berries but don't have time to pick them yourself? Stop off at Green Valley Strawberries and Cafè in Nairne to stock up during the strawberry season, which generally runs from November through to April.
FIGS
Just minutes from the city, forage through almost 12,000 fig trees for perfect fruit at Willabrand Figs on Glen Ewin Estate. From February to April each year, the orchards of Glen Ewin are brimming with figs, with five main varieties; Archipal, Deanna, Spanish Desert, Brown Turkey and Black Genoa. After picking a fig feast, settle down at the Figbar and enjoy the fruits of your labour paired perfectly with fig gin and a cheese platter. Sounds pretty figgin' good to us!
APPLES
The apple doesn't have far to fall from the tree and into your basket in the Adelaide Hills, where orchards brimming with fruit await. Bag your own apples at Harrisville Orchards, with crisp, sweet fruit just begging to be plucked off the tree - including Fuji, Granny Smith, Royal Galas and even pears. Nestled in the lush valleys of Lenswood, you can also pick your own cherries at this fourth-generation family-run orchard, as well as stock up on sparkling apple and cherry juice and homemade cakes at the shed door. While you are in the Lenswood area, stop past Lenswood Pick Your Own where you can eat apples straight off the tree before retiring to boutique luxury accommodation Pavilions at Lenswood, that boasts sweeping views of the Adelaide Hills, a wood fireplace, free-standing bath tub and hot tub.
CITRUS
Also known as Australia's fruit bowl, the Riverland is famed for its citrus and is the third-largest growing region in Australia. From oranges, grapefruit and tangelos to limes, mandarins and lemons there are endless groves of citrus to explore around the towns of Berri and Renmark. Meander through roads lined with groves and take your pick of the crop from a local farm gate, or stock up at one of the many roadside stalls, like the iconic Aggie's Fresh Fruit Stall. Once you've had your fill of fruit, check out our guide to the top 10 things to do in the Riverland.
Planning a trip to one of South Australia's beautiful fruit-growing regions? Be sure to call ahead and find out about current fruit picking conditions. To keep our local producer's fruit fly-free, please leave your fruit and vegetables at home and buy locally.
Explore Adelaide with your family
Looking for more family-friendly fun in Adelaide after fruit picking? Get the kids off the couch and jam-pack the school break with more activities in Adelaide and beyond with our guide to the best family-friendly things to do in Adelaide.
