Summer stone fruit straight from the orchard, cider with a view and a long lunch. Here's how to spend a summer day in the Bickley Valley, 30 minutes from Perth.
Summer in the orchards
Every summer, I make at least one trip up to the Bickley Valley to load up on fresh fruit. It’s only about 30 minutes from the city, but once you’re winding through the orchards of Bickley, Carmel and Pickering Brook, it feels like you’re in the country.
From December, the valley’s stone fruit season kicks off, with peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots through summer and into early autumn.
Quick facts
- Where: Bickley, Carmel and Pickering Brook, about 30 minutes from the city.
- Season: Stone fruit from December through summer into early autumn.
- Pick your own: Several orchards in season. Opening days change with the harvest, so check first.
- Cider: Core Cider in Pickering Brook, with an orchard bistro.
- Bring: Cash, a hat and a cooler bag.
- Driving: Keep tastings small, or bring someone happy to drive home.
“Riding up Welshpool Road East on a summer morning, with the bike loaded up with peaches on the way home, is my idea of a good Saturday.”
Alex Hamilton, Editor
Pick your own
Several orchards open their gates for pick-your-own in season, or sell straight from the farm shed. Opening days change with the harvest, so check before you go. Experience Perth Hills keeps a handy list of orchards, sheds and what’s in season.
Bring cash, a hat and a cooler bag, and go early before the heat sets in. Picking fruit with my nieces and nephews is always a hit, even if half of it gets eaten before we reach the car.
Cider with a view
The valley has a couple of cideries making cider from local fruit. Core Cider in Pickering Brook is the best known, with an orchard bistro looking out over the trees. In summer, it also runs Friday night dinners, so book ahead.
“Glorious setting overlooking the orchard in the valley.”
Daydream40, Tripadvisor review
A long lunch
This is the part I look forward to most. Book a table with a view, order a tasting paddle and settle in for a slow afternoon. If you’re driving, keep it to a small taster, or bring someone who’s happy to drive home.
“View is lovely, gardens are beautifully tended and working orchards provide a perfect outlook.”
LMCM111, Tripadvisor review
Make it a loop
Come up through Kalamunda, wind through the valley, then head home via the Zig Zag Scenic Drive for one last view of the city. If it’s a Sunday, the Kalamunda Farmers Market runs in the morning, which is a good place to start. In spring, the tulips at Araluen Botanic Park in nearby Roleystone are worth the detour.
“The view, service and food were all excellent.”
Troy B, Tripadvisor review
Featured image: Radiotrefoil, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Frequently Asked Questions
Stone fruit like peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots is in season from around December, through summer and into early autumn.
