The Fleurieu cheese trail
A drive built around dairies, fromageries and a long picnic
A peninsula built for cheese
The Fleurieu has the right combination of cool wet winters, green pasture and small farming families to be a serious dairy region — and it quietly is. This trail strings together the spots where you can actually taste, buy and picnic on local cheese in a single, sensible day. It is built as a loop so you do not have to backtrack at the end of the afternoon.
When to go
Late winter through spring (August to November) is when the dairies are at their most generous — calves are young, milk is rich, and the spring grass gives the cheeses a yellow buttery edge. Avoid Mondays — many smaller farm gates are closed.
How to do it well
Bring a soft cooler bag with an ice brick and put it in the boot before you leave. Cheese is fragile and the day is long. Pack a picnic blanket, a sharp knife, a small cutting board, a baguette from a bakery before you start, and a couple of bottles of water. Buy as you go and picnic at one of the lookouts or under a shade tree at a cellar door — most are happy for you to bring food in if you also buy a glass of wine.
A note on opening hours
Farm gate dairies often have idiosyncratic hours. Always check the listings on each location page before you commit to the route, especially on weekdays.
What to take home
A round of fresh curd, a hard washed-rind for slow eating later, and one wildcard — something you have never tried before. Ask the people behind the counter what is best this week. They always know.
Day 1
7 stops-
1
Blessed Cheese
McLaren ValeStart in Willunga at Blessed Cheese. It is part deli, part cafe, part fromagerie, and the staff will happily talk you through what is in the cabinet today. Pick up a wedge of something washed-rind for the picnic. Allow 30 minutes.
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2
Willunga Farmers Market
WillungaIf it is a Saturday, walk one block to the Willunga Farmers Market for additional cheese, sourdough and olives. The covered market is best between 8am and 11am — it gets busy after that.
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3
Lloyd Brothers Wine & Olive Co
McLaren ValeDrive five minutes up to Lloyd Brothers for olive oil and an estate Shiraz to drink with the cheese. Their olive grove tour is worth the time if you have it.
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4
Alexandrina Cheese Company
Inman ValleyCross the hills to Alexandrina Cheese Company near Mount Compass — the Fleurieu's biggest farm dairy. Tasting plates, cheese to take home, and you can usually see the cows. Allow an hour.
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5
Fleurieu Milk Company Farm Gate
Myponga & Second ValleyDrop down to Myponga for the Fleurieu Milk Company farm gate. They make yoghurts, milks and a small range of fresh cheeses. Grab a bottle of the chocolate milk for the kids in the back seat.
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6
Talinga Grove
StrathalbynLoop east through Strathalbyn to Talinga Grove for one last olive-oil tasting and a final pantry stock. Their estate-blend EVOO is the one to take home.
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7
Soldiers Memorial Gardens
StrathalbynFinish with the picnic in Strathalbyn's Soldiers Memorial Gardens. Spread the cheese under the gum trees, open the wine, and call it a day.
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On the map
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