Lorraine and Bernie Mahon at Watercress Creek Olives & Limes have a dedicated farmgate shop on their farm. Once a year in April, they host a country festival with live music, stalls, wine and cheese.
Specialties include a ‘bruschetta spread’ and whole dried figs – grown on the farm – preserved in a rich aged balsamic. The figs also go into a luscious sweet jam.
“It was originally 240 acres but farming wasn’t really profitable in the 1960s and 70s so the property was divided up among the family and my parents got this place.
“It’s only 14 acres so it wasn’t big enough for anything else so I put in some olive trees.
“It turned out to be a lot of hard work – there are a lot of olive groves in Queensland that don’t produce well because of our climate, although our manzanilla and the arbequina do very well,” he said.
Watercress Creek also produces kalamata, jumbo kalamata and frantoio olives. The lime orchard continues to produce more every year as the orchard matures and more tree are added.
The Mahons have created garden settings around their shop and have added a coffee machine and cafe menu. The Watercress Creek Olives & Limes shop is open on weekends.
And don’t forget to circle April on the calendar – that’s when the annual Watercress Creek Olive Festival will be held. With live music, stalls and picnicking among the fruiting trees.
The 2018 festival runs from 9am-3pm on Sunday April 8 at the farm, 53 Bryces Rd, Pine Mountain. Admission is $5 per person or $10 per car.
For more information check the website or the Facebook page.
