Fruit Loop Drive Trail, Carnarvon

During a road trip in North West WA, you may bypass Carnarvon in favour of larger beach-resort towns. Don’t!! A stop at Carnarvon can be interesting (there’s the Space and Technology Museum at the giant dish), relaxing (take a walk along the palm lined Fascine), tasty (the Gascoyne Growers Markets are held each Saturday morning in Carnarvon’s town centre) and you can stock up your fridge or esky with just-picked fruit and vegetables on the delicious Fruit Loop Drive Trail too.

The Fruit Loop self-drive tour is an easy drive along the scenic North and South River Roads, past lush plantations and farm gate shops. You may even spot a cactus garden!

Here’s what you can expect…

Carnarvon is an amazing food bowl – much of our store-bought fruit and veggies come from here. The quality is outstanding and you’re bound to find something that may have been rejected by the supermarkets for being “too big” – like this freshly picked giant broccoli from the Gascoyne Bio-Dynamic Plantation farm store.

Bumbaks Farm Shop is a very popular family-run shop selling all sorts of by-products of their fresh produce.

Stock up on jars of preserves. Be sure to try the choc dipped mango ice cream too.

One of the products Carnarvon is most famous for is its bananas, which have a sweeter, more intense flavour than its larger Queensland cousins. We prefer them and always buy them in our weekly shop. At Morel’s Orchard they sell frozen, choc dipped bananas on sticks – a refreshing Gascoyne treat.

Here there’s bound to be some exotic fruit you’ve never heard of – be sure to try a black sapote, a moist fruit that tastes like chocolate pudding. Plenty of fresh seasonal produce is available, as well as dried fruits – perfect for a healthy snack.

I’m sure after a trip around the farm gates and chatting to the friendly farmers, you’ll be sure to “Buy West, Eat Best” in future to support this amazing WA industry. The range of great value seasonal produce available is staggering.

Note that while some shops are open year round – a few open seasonally (usually May to October). Pick up a map and guide for the Fruit Loop Drive Trail from the Carnarvon Visitor Centre, or find it online here.

Find more travel ideas in WA here.

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About Stella B

Stella is loving retirement! Besides her loves of gardening, reading and painting, she adores spending time with her family and being out and about in Perth. Living in the Perth Hills, her time is often spent brunching with her husband at one of Kalamunda’s many cafes or enjoying a food platter over a glass of wine at a Bickley Valley winery.