There's nothing quite like a drive through the plantation after good rains. The transformation is remarkable — our macadamia trees are putting on vigorous new growth, their canopies thickening and their root systems strengthening in the moist, fertile Umkondo soil.
We're grateful for every drop of rain. In macadamia farming, water is life. Our trees need consistent moisture to develop full, heavy nuts with high kernel recovery rates. The rains also recharge our irrigation dams and reduce our reliance on pumped water during the critical nut-fill period from January through to March.
Honest reflection is part of farming, and we freely admit that some of our earliest plantings had mistakes — spacing that was too tight in places, or varieties that weren't ideally matched to specific micro-climates on the farm. These are lessons that can't be undone, but they've made us better farmers. Every new block we plant benefits from what we've learned.
For anyone considering starting their own macadamia orchard, our advice is simple: take your time with planning, get professional guidance on variety selection and spacing, and invest in good soil preparation. The trees will be there for 40 years or more — it's worth getting the foundations right.