Succulent Strawberries for the Pickin’

For those who have just arrived in Auckland or just simply haven’t had the opportunity to yet, it’s high time to head off for some strawberry picking at Kumeu before January ends.

Within 25 minutes north west of Auckland, off the North-Western Motorway, is the Kumeu Coast & Country Region, where strawberry farms abound and are easily accessible via the main road. Among the favoured farms are they Massey Gardens and Phil Grieg’s Strawberry Farm. Only $7.50 per adult, per kilo pof strawberries to be brought out of the farm are charged per adult at the Massey Gardens, while Phil Greig’s charges only $6 per adult, per kilo. All strawberries eaten in the farm are free. No need to wash the strawberries to eat them, although more cautious ones bring a bottle of water along.

For those who want to save a bit more, Greg Vezich’s farm is just further down State Highway 16, where strawberries are at merely $5 per kilo.

Tip: Although the big strawberries look more tempting, the small, really red ones are actually much, much sweeter.

Strawberry picking is best done with an overcast, but the summer sun up most of the time, it is best to slip (on a shirt), slap (on a hat), and slop (on some sunblock) as it could get truly hot.

To beat the heat after picking strawberries, head on out to an ice cream shoppe (either by the farm or another along the main road) for fresh fruit ice cream. A small serving costs $3.50, while double that would cost $6.

Note that the strawberry picking season culminates at the end of the month.

Photo credit: Cherry Thelmo-Fernandez
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