Get back to the land in the Adelaide Hills

The Adelaide Hills region is sometimes called ‘South Australia’s food basket’, but it might be more accurately called the state’s ‘gourmet hamper’. Thanks to the region’s gentle climate, deep soils and closeness to metropolitan Adelaide, its orchards, dairies and market gardens have been thriving for more than a century. More recently, winegrowers have been taking the name ‘Adelaide Hills’ even further afield.

But it’s never been about volume. It’s about quality.

The region is a gourmet producer through and through. Many of its most fertile blocks have been in the same families for generations, some dating back to when the women of Onkaparinga Valley carried their baskets of fresh produce 35km from the villages to the markets of the young capital.  They’ve resisted ‘factory farming’ methods and there’s been precious little consolidation of holdings. Even in the modern world of wine, the great majority of Hills wineries are family-run businesses raising premium fruit on tiny parcels.

Upshot? This is an intimate region that retains its beauty, its traditions and its standards. So if you want to meet the grower, see the farming process or shrink the miles from paddock to plate, it might be time to reach into Adelaide’s gourmet hamper and indulge a little…

Take your pick

Strawberries: Beerenberg means ‘Berry Hill’ in German – a nod by the Paech family to their Prussian forebears who settled in Hahndorf to farm in 1839. Plump red strawbs are ripe for the picking November to April. Green Valley Strawberries in Nairne serves up its fruit in blitzes, bowls and a proper ‘thick shake’ in their charming onsite cafe.

Cherries:  Warm days and cool nights help make the Adelaide Hills one of Australia’s prime cherry growing regions. Download the map from Cherries SA and discover two dozen growers: most offer shed door sales, and half of them invite you to get among the cherry trees with a punnet or two (or three). Cherries are in season from December to mid-January.

Pears: Pick your own pears at Paracombe – and be sure to try a glass of perry. Never heard of perry? See below…

Figs: Beautiful Glen Ewin Estate in Houghton (established 1843) invites visitors to get jiggy with their figs in late autumn. As well as five varieties of figs, they have a pop-up bar among the canopies serving wine for thirsty pickers.

Apples: Lenswood has been Adelaide’s apple capital since the 1800s, with @Lenswood Pick Your Own offering picking throughout the season from March to May – your chance to taste an apple straight off the tree!

How does your garden grow?

Botanicals: Watch as the world of flowers opens up before your very eyes! Join Jurlique’s daily Farm Tour to get among the flowers and herbs raised by the world-famous skincare producer. You’ll be shown inside the nursery sheds and drying room, and given insights into the biodynamic practices of this beautiful farm behind Mylor. Over in Balhannah, Kidman Flower Co. has a Flower Farm Experience that includes a tour of the 30-acre farm and an informal flower arranging master class where you make your own bouquet from freshly picked natives. 

Honeycomb: Get to grips with the business of bees at Aristaeus Farm in Cudlee Creek. The wondrous (and increasingly important) practice of beekeeping is explained during once-monthly, day-long workshops designed for beginners.

Venison: Spirit of the Stag combines a 4WD tour of the Highland Valley Deer Centre in Hahndorf with a chef-inspired, three-course venison lunch. There’s also a liqueur which is so unusual that only drinking is believing…

Perry: Fourth generation pear grower Damian McArdle is an award-winning maker of perry – which is a cider made with pears!  See what it’s all about on Paracombe Premium Perry’s Tree to Bottle tour, with a chance to see the orchard, learn about Lemon Bergamot pears (a pear variety now unique to South Australia) and even blend your own perry.

Animals: It’s about as old as the Hills and loved for even longer. We are of course talking about the Hahndorf Farm Barn. Home to everything from ponies to pythons, camels to cows and Muscovy ducks to deer, the Farm Barn is where kids get hands-on with their fave animals while getting to grips with what a farm actually does.

Wake up on a farm

Alpaca farm: Gundaroo Retreat is in Cromer on the northern reaches of the Adelaide Hills. Set on 50 acres of rolling farmland, the two-bedroom Gundaroo cottage offers plenty of rustic charm as well as complimentary bottle of wine and bacon and eggs for breakfast. It’s also part of a working alpaca farm, where the animals are always keen to say hello over the fence. From $160 per night.

Sheep farm: The Rabbiter’s Hut is on a 3,000-acre farm called Tinline Park. Located near Tungkillo, the property has been growing wool since the 1850s. The Rabbiter’s Hut is a luxurious cottage 3km from the main homestead, immersing guests in the stunning surrounds. The property is crossed by The Kidman Horse Trail and Lavender Walking Trail; farm tours can also be arranged. From $260 per night.

Viticulture: Watch the sun rise over the vines at Simon Tolley Lodge, a luxury five-bedroom retreat on Simon Tolley Wines’ Woodside estate. Other grape-side retreats include the Vigneron Villa at Barristers Block (Woodside), the Vineyard Cottage at Mt Bera Vineyard (Gumeracha) and the contemporary Suites at Longview Vineyard (Macclesfield).

Cheese factory: For something different, ensconce yourself in the stunning conversion of the 1896 Blakiston Cheese Factory. Featuring original beams, exposed stone walls, modern art, luxurious fixtures and private cottage garden, this statement home caters for up to eight guests. From $780 per night. Devotees of artisan cheeses can visit Woodside Cheese Wrights and Verdun’s Udder Delights, both a short (and very lovely) drive.

To market, to market…

Farmers markets: Growers and sowers, makers and bakers, raisers and graziers… The Adelaide Hills Farmers Market is held every Saturday in Mann Street, Mount Barker, from 8:30am-12:30pm. Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is held at Mount Pleasant Showgrounds in the Show Hall and adjoining grassed areas, and also takes place each Saturday 8am-12pm. And there are monthly markets held on Sunday mornings at Uraidla and Meadows.

Roadside stalls: The Adelaide Hills has long welcomed the cheerful practice of local growers setting up small roadside stalls with attendant honesty boxes. Look out for seasonal offerings of fresh fruit, vegetables, apple pies, jams and bunches of flowers between Verdun and Balhannah, Piccadilly and Summertown/Uraidla. There’s also a lively Facebook page dedicated to the region’s roadside stalls, with posts like this one: “On this beautiful sunny day, come and visit The Red Shed [Matthew Road, Nairne], all restocked and rearranged... Freshly baked lemon syrup cakes, extra large blueberry yoghurt cakes, and fresh biscuits…”

Country Fairs and Shows: These annual shows are a big deal – think large, colourful country gatherings with stallholders, kids and animals in roughly equal proportions… The larger shows include Meadows Country Fair, Mount Barker, Callington, Uraidla and Mount Pleasant.

A tour gives you more

Tour operators can not only give you a wider appreciation for how local producers operate, they can tailor a schedule to meet your tastes, take you off the beaten track and throw in a few surprises along the way. For wine touring, try award-winning Cellar Door Tours based in Wistow; they accommodate parties from two to 10 with costs starting at $130pp, including lunch and pick-up. Shiraz & Co offers winery, brewery and luxury Degustation Tour for parties of up to three; costs from $179pp. And AgriAdventures has a changing schedule of paddock-to-plate related tours, including tagalongs.