New South Wales, Australia, August 2016
When I think of Australia I think about a distant and immense land, a nature that we Europeans cannot even imagine, of kangaroos, koalas and the very friendly quokka.
When I think of Sydney I think about the Opera House, surfing and surfers, but above all I think of that cartoon that has captured the hearts of all of us children: Finding Nemo.
Being my first time in Australia, my first wish was to jump with kangaroos, hug a baby koala and laugh with a quokka (the happiest animal in the world!).
I would have expected anything but to spend a whole day, on one of the farms outside the city of Sydney, picking mandarins. It was so much fun!
Here we are at the Watkins family farm, a fruit and vegetable story that has been going on since 1836. Their motto is "Pick as many mandarins as you want and have fun - bring a picnic if you want!". For almost ten years now they have been providing a day out of the city for anyone who wants to spend a few hours in a place nestled in the mountains of New South Wales.
My crew consisted of two Australians, one of whom would become my brother-in-law a few years later, and two Italian sisters. After a couple of hours' drive, we arrived at this location that was completely different from what we had seen so far. Along a dirt road that runs alongside the Hawkesbury River is that beautiful orchard. The Watkins family is there, ready to welcome you with a thousand buckets and lots of home-grown food. Taking your bucket, paying with cash only, you plunge into the fruit trees, climbing ladders, chasing chickens and lots of good tangerines.
All the fruit you manage to pick will be yours, but remember to bring your own scissors!
Discover the world of this beautiful orchard!
https://watkinsfamilyfarm.com.au/map-to-the-farm/
The orchard
Mandarins
Pickinggg
Bring your own scissor and pick all the mandarins you want!
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