Fruit picking fun

Skip the supermarket and go straight to the source by fruit picking in South Australia. It’s the perfect outdoor adventure where you can pick fresh fruit straight 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.

Apples

Season: late February to May, depending on growing conditions

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 and Lenswood Orchard.

Pears

Season: late February to March

Go on a fruit treasure hunt for pears at Paracombe Premium Perry, set in the heart of Paracomb, only a stone's throw from the fringes of Adelaide. Owner Damian McArdle is a fourthgeneration pear grower, so you know when you are picking fruit off his branch, it's been grown with love and care.

Figs

Season: from February to April

Go fig-crazy with the ultimate fig-picking experience at the Willabrand orchards at Glen Ewin Estate in Houghton, where figs have been grown for more than 150 years. Fill your basket with fresh figs, then head to the Fig Bar for a chilled wine and have your figs served up with a selection of local Adelaide Hills cheeses or try a delicious fig ice cream.

Cherries

Season: between mid-November to mid-January

As the weather warms up, cherry orchards around South Australia overflow with fruit, heralding the start of festive season. Some top picks include Harben Vale pick your own cherries, Cherries the Verdun, Martin Hill Cherries, Lennane Orchards, Harrisville Orchards and Fleurieu Cherries just outside Willunga.

Strawberries

Season: from November to April

There’s nothing quite like the taste of freshly picked strawberries. 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 South Australia on the map.

To ensure you have the best fruitpicking experience, check opening dates and times with the farms beforehand, as they vary depending on growing seasons.