AWANUI OLIVES
ABOUT US
Grown on the banks of the Clutha River at Clyde and cold-pressed in Central Otago.
Michael and Jannette Hope own Awanui, and are enjoying nurturing the trees and grove that is now nearly 25 years old (2024).
In 2019, Michael and Jannette Hope, acquired the end of the property, nearest to the Clyde Dam. Building a family home and refreshing the property, they now have about 170 mature olive trees, mature almond trees, and newly established fruit trees, with vegetable and berry gardens.
Clyde, and Central Otago have ideal growing conditions for many fruit trees and vegetables, and the olives have thrived in the challenging and often harsh conditions - long hot dry summers, and freezing cold winters.
Our varieties include Barnea, Frantoio, Manzanilla, Ponder, Verdale, Nabili, and Leccino.
Michael and Jannette are joined each May/June to harvest the crop and enjoy the harvest festivities. The freshly hand-picked olives are immediately cold-pressed by the Central Otago Olive Press beside Lake Dunstan. Producing beautiful Extra Virgin Olive Oil the next day. The trees are pruned in the winter and spring, awaiting flowering and fruiting around New year.
We have learned more and more about nurturing the trees and fruit, managing gentle irrigation, feeding with nutrients, and no longer using harmful herbicides. In 2023 we received our first NZ Olives Award. This is very much a hobby, but rewarding and fun to share with friends, Whanau, and clients.
