At a latitude of approximately 45 degrees south, bound between the Pisa Mountains and the Clutha River lies Pongs Creek. A creek named after Pong Woo, a village in the Guangzhou province where many of the Chinese gold miners came from during the Central Otago gold rush in the 1870s. It’s fresh and pristine glacial waters travel through the Robert family’s small orchard which has adopted the name of the creek itself.

Pong’s Creek Orchard was once a glacial bed and now forms part of an extensive river terrace consisting of free draining healthy soils ideal for cherry growing. In addition to the soils, Otago’s temperate climate, cold winters, short and intensely hot summers with low humidity create a paradise for cherries to flourish. With 16 hours of sunlight each day and a large diurnal temperature range, Pong’s Creek’s cherries grow slow and have especially an high concentration of sugar, firm flesh and a rich red exterior.

From panning to picking, the Pong’s Creek soils continue be a source of wealth. The spectacular but short-lived yield of gold served to open up the region to those who appreciated that the soils could yield much more than just a metallic harvest. The soils, among other factors, now create the perfect environment for today’s red gold; World Class Cherries.