Cherry Picking at
Stella Creek Cherry Orchard

2011-12 Cherry Picking SEASON - has come to an end!

Wednesday 28 December - We are NOW CLOSED!

Unfortunately the season has come to an early close.............not sure what we'll do with all the sausages!!!

For us the season started early in mid November & we anticipated picking until the New Year. However Mother Nature intervened & the summer rains reduced the crop. We know there are many disappointed people and so are we.............

We must now look forward to next year!

 Remember if you would like to be one of the first to know when the 2012 season begins just click on 'subscribe' on the left hand side & join our email list.

You can also watch this website for updates on what is happening here at Stella Creek........  

We wish you all peace and happiness at Christmas and thank you sincerely for visiting Stella Creek during our harvest. May 2012 be a great year for all. We look forward to seeing you again next cherry season.

Best wishes

Merawyn and Alan Mayne

Cherry Picking Info

We are located at:  178 Plummers Rd, Forest Range

To come to Stella Creek make sure you drive 1.8kms UP Plummers Road - don't stop 'til you get to the top and the entry on the RIGHT HAND SIDE with the 'STELLA CREEK' sign at the entrance and red & green flags.

Follow our long white driveway leading to the large packing shed & parking area!

For directions on how to find us see below:

Directions to Stella Creek Please Note: If coming from northern suburbs be careful about following your GPS - it may take you to Cherryville & across fire tracks!

If coming from the city or northern or western suburbs come up Magill Road (NOT Payneham Road) & stay on Adelaide - Lobethal Road through Ashton, Basket Range and then Forest Range! It is very windy but is the most direct...........if you don't like lots of corners come up via the freeway.

For complete directions & details of the different routes please check our Location page.

Entry Fee - $5 per adult; $2 per child under 12yrs

We have found it necessary, unfortunately, to charge an entry fee to all visitors to the orchard. This fee helps recoup the cost of cherries eaten in the orchard by a large number of people who come mainly for the experience to be in the orchard & to eat cherries.

Of course we do not mind a taste & we want you to have fun & enjoy the experience but, as the cherries provide our income for the year (as fruit & vegetables do for the greengrocer) we are sure you will you understand!

The good news is that if you pick 3kg or more (3kg + per person), we will refund one entry fee.

We hope our regular customers understand the reasons why we have had to do this and we look forward to refunding your entry fee when you pick, weigh & pay for your buckets of cherries!

Please check this site for daily updates during the cherry season.

Everyone loves our cherry icecream & dairy free sorbet- you must try it on your next visit once summer has arrived!

Instant orchard updates will be via Twitter - follow us @cherry_pickings

To find out all the details about Stella Creek such as entry fee, what to wear, directions etc please read below.

To keep in touch: subscribe to our email list (to the left of this page) for updates as the season progresses.

Just a reminder - WHAT YOU PICK YOU PAY FOR & take home with you!!

We are not asking you to pick for us so.........once you have picked the cherries they are yours to weigh, pay for, take home & enjoy!

You can eat them fresh, cook them, make jam, freeze them or give them to friends & neighbours, work mates etc..............................

This season for your convenience we offer you CREDIT CARD FACILITIES as an alternative to paying by cash. (There is no cash out facility).

And please....... no picnicking in the orchard - under the trees there are irrigation lines which do get damaged !! There are lovely spots for your picnic up under the pine trees overlooking the stunning valley & space for the children to run around!

Don't forget.... "How to Pick Cherries" video and enjoy Alan Mayne (complete with a pirate patch on his finger!) showing you how its done!

And... watch our "How to Find Stella Creek PYO Cherry Orchard" video - so you will know exactly where we are!

You can save money, enjoy fabulously fresh fruit and have a wonderful family outing in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, when you “Pick Your Own” cherries at Stella Creek.

Our orchard offers everything you need to “Pick Your Own” including:

• Permanent netting - Our netting covers our entire orchard to a height of more than 15 feet! This means you have plenty of space to pick your cherries in comfort. Have a look at our photo gallery for pictures of our permanent netting.
• Buckets & Picking Boxes - We provide the professional picking boxes (with straps over the shoulder for support) and buckets for you to pick your cherries into........ after parking your car just come to the shed to pick up your box or bucket, pay your entry fee & you will be shown where to go in the orchard.
• An orchard guide will meet you in the orchard to show you which trees are ready for picking & how to pick the cherries - most important as we do not want trees to be damaged. Damaged trees mean.....less fruit next season!!!
• Wholesale prices - At Stella Creek PYO you will not pay anywhere near the retail price for similar quality fruit and the bonus is the fruit will be as fresh as it can be. In fact our prices are often less than wholesale market prices. Fruit this season for PYO will range in price from $6/kilo to $11/kg depending on the variety & quality of the fruit available. Ready picked graded fruit when available starts at $12/kg. Again prices increase with the size of the fruit. Please note we do not always have the boxes of ready picked fruit available.
• Opening hours - 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week (as long as we have cherries).If travelling long distances it pays to check the website first or phone to make sure fruit is available. In the meanwhile however we can occasionally be picked out of ripe fruit during the day (even in a morning) - to avoid disappointment we will try to find a few cherries somewhere for you to pick but is not always possible.
• Cold Drinks for Sale - We don't only keep cherries in our cold room! We also have a variety of soft drinks eg Coca Cola,diet Coke, Solo & bottled water available to refresh thirsty pickers. 
• No picking limit - We do not impose minimum or maximum limits on what you can pick.  So, pick as many or as few as you like. It is up to you. Just remember - what you pick you must pay for
• Picked fruit - If you would rather just buy our cherries already picked, at wholesale prices, then you can do so at our Packing Shed door once our commercial packing begins. Because of the season we have not yet done any commercial picking.
• Magnificent picturesque views - Bring a picnic or a thermos or both, find a quiet spot and enjoy our stunning views of the valley through to Woodside and Oakbank.
• Toilet facilities - Available just behind our packing shed.
• Cherry Icecream - on the weekend enjoy our very popular Cherry Icecream & Cherry sorbet!Yum!!
• Sausage sizzle - also at weekends who can resist a sausage & onion, before or after picking. They are so delicious some people even do both............ before and after picking!

Our website will keep you updated about which varieties are currently being picked, so just click on to our 'varieties page' for a guide to when your favourite cherry will be ready.

Things you will need when you Pick Your Own Cherries:

• Make sure you find us! There are other cherry orchards in Forest Range - to get to Stella Creek, you need to go up Plummers Road for 1.9km - and look for the number "178"  - don't STOP until you get right near the top of the hill! We are on the RIGHT HAND SIDE. This gives us our magnificent views and wonderful fruit. Look for the Stella Creek logo on our sign at our front entrance and the long white driveway with an avenue of Plane trees.
• Wear sensible clothes. Whilst we have permanent netting, you still want to be comfortable when you are picking. So make sure you wear comfortable clothes that are suitable for moderate physical exercise. If this sounds a bit too much like hard work, you can always buy some already picked fruit at the packing shed door!Always bring a jacket/jumper as is often cooler up here in the hills than in the city.
• Wear sensible shoes. If you are going to pick your own, make sure you are wearing comfortable, sensible shoes. The orchard can be a bit damp at times (because of irrigation or rain) and so shoes with a good grip are very important.
• AEROGARD/FLY REPELLANT...... if you do not want to be troubled by flies, always around in this warm weather, it is a good idea to bring a personal fly repellant.
• Bring sustenance! If you are planning on picking a lot of cherries, you will want to have some water on hand - it can be thirsty work on a warm day! We will have soft drinks and water available at the shed door! You may also want to bring a picnic and enjoy the stunning views across the Onkaparinga Valley and classic hills ambience. Find a big shady tree, spread out your picnic rug and relax!

If you require more information about “Pick Your Own” or Packing Shed Sales, please phone us on 8389 8572.