Looking for a fun activity you can do with your kids this Spring? One that won’t break the bank? Get along to Cedar Farm in Dooralong for orange picking, pony rides and hay-trailer rides among the orchards.
The offerings at Cedar Farm Doralong have expanded. As well as wandering their orchards picking delicious juicy Valencia oranges straight from the trees, you can now also take a ride on a pony or hay trailer! You’re welcome to make a day of it and BYO picnic lunch and the local Rotary group also put on regular sausage sizzles.
This is such a wholesome way to spend a day with family or friends. So stick on your gumboots and get set for a memorable day of orange-picking fun! Read on for all the juicy details.
Tucked away in the foothills of Wyong State Forest, Cedar Farm is a friendly, down-to-earth place with over 15 acres of orchards to explore. Run by Kay and Jack Schlachter who have owned the property for 13 years, this will be the seventh year that families have been invited to take part in one of their superb Pick Your Own Oranges days!
Kids big and small will relish the satisfaction of finding their own fruit – lots of the trees have oranges that small hands will be able to reach, and there are picking sticks to use for fruit higher up.
There are some good challenges for the kids too – they can hunt for the biggest, ripest oranges, see how many they can carry, and predict how much their bags will weigh. Plus, they’ll get a valuable first-hand experience of where our food really comes from.
How does it work?
When you arrive, sign in at the trestle tables behind the car park. Then, grab your bags, collect a picking stick and head out into the orchard. When your bags are full, head back to the tables to weigh your haul. Oranges are currently $1.75 a kilo (cash and EFTPOS accepted). They even have a juicing machine and bottles on site so you can juice your oranges straight away.
A day spent orange picking at Cedar Farm is a back-to-basics and inexpensive way to spend quality time outdoors with your family. And afterwards, you can head home to fill the fruit bowl and make some delicious farm-fresh orange juice with the kids. Perfect!
Cedar Farm, Dooralong
What to Take: You need to take your own bags for the oranges, so make sure you pack a few.
Tips: You are welcome to picnic in the orchards. Dogs on leashes are welcome to come along.
Accessibility: Children aged two and up will manage walking around the orchard with ease. The ground around the trees is a little bumpy and soft, but still manageable for strollers and toddlers on foot. Closed-in footwear is recommended.
Facilities: Rotary puts on sausage sizzles on occasion. There’s a portable toilet at the farm. The Community Hall at the start of Ditton Road also has bathroom facilities, electric BBQs, and a small playground available.
Hours: The farm will be open every day throughout the Spring school holidays from 10am – 4pm (Pony rides are from 10am-2.30pm) and then every weekend until the season ends (check their Facebook page). Check the Cedar Farm Facebook page for updates before you head out, as the operating hours can change.
Cost: Free entry. Oranges are $1.75 a kilo (cash and EFTPOS accepted). Pony rides $10. Juicing is $1 per litre.
Location: Cedar Farm is at 48 Dittons Road, Dooralong. (Turn off Dooralong Road into Dittons Road at the Dooralong Community Hall and Oval. Follow the dirt road to the car park at the end).
Contact: Cedar Farm Facebook page and Cedar Farm Instagram page.
Written By: ALISON MCCANN
Contributor
Alison is a busy local mum who enjoys exploring the Coast’s spectacular natural spaces. You’ll often find her out on a bush trail with her husband and three kids. With a background in media production, communication and marketing, she loves sharing stories about the wonderful region we get to call home. Follow her on Instagram @CentralCoastNatureKids.
