Core Cider Plums. Credit: Core Cider
Escape the city and soak up the charm of the Bickley Valley this summer – just 30 minutes from the Perth CBD. Wander through the orchards of Bickley, Carmel and Pickering Brook, where plums, peaches, nectarines and tomatoes are bursting with flavour and ready for picking. A quintessential Perth Hills summer experience! Get hands on at family-run farms and celebrate the region’s farm gate produce and seasonal fruit festivals with glorious weather.
Summer Orchards is all about authentic, farm-to-table goodness – meet passionate local growers and artisans, pick your own fruit straight from the trees or purchase produce from the orchard shed and taste the difference that freshness makes. Sip on a crisp apple or pear cider, purchase homemade jams and raw honey, take an orchard tour or visit a fruit festival. It’s a true taste of the Perth Hills – vibrant, delicious and uniquely local.
S & R Orchard are celebrating summer with their annual Christmas Pick Your Own Fruit Festival in December! Enjoy Christmas themed photo props around the orchard, fun activities for the whole family, and special appearances from Santa on selected days (perfect for photos!). It’s a beautiful way to celebrate the season while filling your fruit bucket with the freshest summer produce. Pick peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots fresh from the tree throughout summer into early autumn. Open daily during season.
The Fruit Corner are seasonal growers of fruit and vegetables open during summer and autumn. They offer shed sales of locally grown produce and homemade jams, sauces, chutney and cordials from December to June and family-friendly summer veg picking from February with fruit picking in autumn. They are open on weekends and public holidays and post regularly on Facebook and Instagram with updates on what’s available to pick or purchase.
Leotta’s Orchard is famous for their variety of stone fruit available throughout the summer months and into early autumn. Customers can’t wait each season for their shed to open and get their hands on delicious peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums. They also stock locally produced honey which is absolutely delicious! Keep an eye on their Facebook page for what’s available each week. Open weekends and cash only.
Tony’s Summer Fruits provides locally grown fruit and vegies from their orchard in Carmel from late spring to early autumn. Come and pick your own fruit or buy direct from the farm shed. Seasonal produce includes apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, avocados, persimmons and figs and much more. You can also purchase local raw honey and chestnuts if you’re lucky! Tony’s offers a luxury rustic Farm Stay so you can fully immerse yourself in the orchard environment. Open 7 days a week during season.
Core Cider and Carmel Cider Co offer your tastebuds a refreshing respite from the summer heat! Sip on an award winning crisp artisan cider or fresh juice crafted on site from their orchard fruit, making for an authentic orchard-to-table cider experience, and while the afternoon away. You can also try a citrusy limoncello from Carmel Cider Co, a nod to their Italian heritage. Both cideries produce Champagne style ciders, a must try – they’re next level!
If you visit Core Cider immerse yourself in the whole experience and join an Old Apple Shed Cider Maker’s Tour which is available to book for groups of 8 or more where you’ll see where the magic happens and finish with a delicious cider tasting. They also do walking orchard tours and fruit picking during summer. Jump on the Apple Express and enjoy a tractor ride through the orchard. You’ll stop to pick your own fruit along the way. Help Farmer Rach harvest the plums and take some home too.
Core’s food menus feature locally sourced produce from apples and pears to stone and citrus fruits, making for an exciting foodie experience. Enjoy a Summer Sweetener Wednesday to Friday for lunch as a midweek treat and as the sun dips behind the Perth Hills and the orchard glows golden, experience Core at its most magical. Join them every Friday evening from December through February for dinner in the Orchard Bistro. Chef Miranda has crafted a special menu just for Friday night dinners. Bookings essential.
Bickley Valley Fresh is your one stop shed for fruit, vegies, preserves, eggs, honey, fresh pressed juice and more! Set on the valley slopes overlooking the orchard you’ll find all your summer favourites like juicy watermelon, delicious stone fruit, crisp cucumbers and tasty tomatoes. Farmer Frank is always up for a yarn, and you must try his Nonna’s cannoli! Open Friday to Sunday year round.
Quality Citrus Grower Direct. Credit: Quality Citrus Grower Direct
Quality Citrus Grower Direct offer local produce for sale from their small orchard shed. Choose from fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, pressed juice, honey, preserves, eggs and pantry staples. You may also find fruit and citrus trees for sale. Located at the top of Welshpool Road East in Lesmurdie – the gateway to the Bickley Valley – make Quality Citrus your first or last stop on your Perth Hills summer orchard adventure. Open Friday to Sunday year round.
Potter around Kalamunda Farmers Market which operates every Sunday morning in Central Mall, from 8:00 am until noon. You’ll find an enormous array of fresh produce, seasonal fruit and vegetables, organic meats, seafood, and bread. Plus a collection of condiments, spices, potted plants, and local, handmade products. Here, you can chat with farmers, producers, and makers, taste samples, and meet people passionate about local produce. It’s a great atmosphere, with plenty to see and do, not to mention live music and kid’s entertainment. Don’t forget to pick up a tasty treat to enjoy later!
Redtail Cottage. Credit: Redtail Cottage
With your summer produce sorted, pack a picnic and find the perfect location to take in the views and savour the flavour of the Perth Hills. Want to linger a little longer? Book a stay in one of the charming accommodation offerings.
No matter what time of year you visit, there’s always something happening in the orchard…but summer is particularly special.