Summer in the Adelaide Hills
Good times and summer vibes! Visit us in summer for strawberry and cherry picking, lush shady wineries and beer gardens, high altitude cool glades and fern gullies.
Strawberries, Cherries & Figs
Beerenberg Farm in Hahndorf for 'pick your own' strawberries (November to April) – be sure to try their strawberry ice cream!
Cherry orchards with shed door sales, and some ‘pick your own’ (November to January) as detailed in the Cherries SA Cherry Map and Fresh Fruit app (App Store or Google Play), which is is an up-to-date guide to what is open and when.
Green Valley Strawberries in Hay Valley for fresh strawberries directly from the farm gate (no pick-your-own) and Green Valley Café with a menu featuring their delicious strawberries (October to May)
Fig season starts late summer, with the short season running from February to April with pick your own and sales at Glen Ewin Estate in Houghton
Fresh Flower Picking
Discover flower farms where you can pick your own magnificent bunch, surrounded by a purple sea of lavender at Hahndorf Lavender Estate Farm or fields of bright happy sunflowers at Atkins Farm.
Summer Event Highlights
Santos Tour Down Under, January
As the only UCI World Tour Stage Race in the Southern Hemisphere, the Santos Tour Down Under has grown over the past two decades to be one of Australia’s premier sporting events, taking the fastest men and women in the world through some of the most iconic regions of South Australia, including exciting and challenging stages in the Adelaide Hills.
From 17 to 26 January 2025, South Australia will host the nation's greatest cycling race. The Santos Tour Down Under is the first event of the UCI WorldTour, kicking off the international pro cycling calendar in the heart of the Australian summer. Held over 10 days, select women's and men's stages will see the peloton traverse our glorious Adelaide Hills as they wind their way through our leafy towns and villages and push to the summit of Mount Lofty.
Mount Lofty Botanic Garden
Head to the cool glades and shady fern gullies of Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in Crafers. In January Hydrangeas cast blue, pink and lilac hues across the Woodland Garden. Daylilies can be seen throughout, and visit the delicate display of Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Penstemon and Agastache near the lower carpark. Please note that Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is closed on days when the fire danger rating is severe, extreme or catastrophic.
Shady Wineries and Beer Gardens
Settle in overlooking the lush green vineyards with a crisp cool-climate white or in a shady spot by the creek … here’s a gallery of some cool summer favourites: