Where to go fruit picking in South Australia

Your ultimate guide to where and when to go fruit picking in South Australia.

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, Lennane Orchards, Stella Creek Cherries and Fleurieu Cherries just outside Willunga. Download the 2021 cherry map for SA and follow your taste buds on the ultimate road trip! Short on time? Wottons Cherries offer an on-farm cherry shop! 

Season: Usually between mid-November to mid-January - just in time for Christmas!

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. After perusing the strawberry fields, check out their newly opened farm cafe that serves up delicious breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea or treat yourself to a homemade ice cream from their dairy. 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.

Season: usually November to April each year. 

FIGS

Just minutes from the city, forage through almost 12,000 fig trees for perfect fruit at Willabrand Figs on Glen Ewin Estate. The orchards of Glen Ewin have been brimming with figs for more than 150 years, 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! Short on time? stop past the estate on your tour of the Adelaide Hills and pick up some pre-picked figs or their sweet fig jam. 

Season: Generally available from February to April each year. 

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. Fill your bag (and your tummy) with delicious fruit straight from the tree at Lenswood Pick Your Own, and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a working apple orchard. Looking to make a weekend of it? Wake up to the rolling green hills that embrace the town of Lenswood when you book a stay at boutique luxury accommodation Pavilions at Lenswood, which boasts sweeping views of the Adelaide Hills, a wood fireplace, free-standing bathtub and hot tub. 

Season: Late February to May depending on growing conditions. 

PEARS

Another Adelaide Hills orchard offering a pick your own experience is Paracombe Premium Perry. Owner Damian McArdle is a fourth-generation pear grower, so you know when you are picking fruit off his branch it's been grown with love and care. Their orchard is set in the heart of Paracombe, a quaint country town only a stone's throw from the fringes of Adelaide. Opt to fill up your fruit bowl fresh from the tree or learn a little bit more about the fruit you are eating with a tree to bottle tour, blend your own pear cider experience or park up on their deck overlooking rolling green hills for a bite of their delicious homemade sourdough pizzas packed with locally made toppings, including the occasional pear!

Season: Typically late February to March each year. 

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 check the fruit fly restrictions for the area you are travelling to by checking out Fruit Fly South Australia. 

Season: varies depending on the variety. Navel oranges are generally in season from June to October while the valencia orange variety is best eaten from November to February. Grapefruit can be ripe year-round, as with lemons and limes, but the best fruit is generally picked in the warmer months.

LOOKING TO MAKE A WEEKEND OUT OF IT?

Load up the car with freshly picked fruit for the road trip ahead and check out our Adelaide Hills Itinerary for your weekend escape.