Established 1983
Wondaree Macadamias was established in 1983 by the O’Neills and is currently owned and managed by Jonathan and Tip Cowie. It is located on a beautiful spot on the Atherton Tablelands, where the right amounts of rain and sunshine produce a carpet of green that spans the countryside and blankets the encircling mountains, a panorama visible from the back patio. Wondaree macadamia nuts are farmed on this beautiful spot under the watchful eye of Roy the kelpie.
Destruction and Rebuilding
In 1984, a year after the farm was established, the first 4000 trees were planted. It takes four or five years for a macadamia tree to flower, and this crop provided all of Wondaree’s produce until a second planting of 2800 trees in the year 2000. Many of these were not to last.
For all the beauty of Far North Queensland, it sits perilously in the path of cyclones whose effect on the environment can be brutal. In the space of just six years between 2006 and 2011, Wondaree was twice hit by cyclones that devastated the orchard, wiping out 5500 trees and years of labour. In the end, though, the Queensland sun came out again and today the farm is back to full production with an orchard of 2700 trees and a run of cattle to keep everyone busy. Now managed by Jonathan Cowie, Wondaree continues to thrive and build upon its rich history.
About Our Macadamias
Macadamias are native to Australia but can also be found growing today in South Africa and Hawaii, where they thrive in the well-drained soil in temperatures that hover around 25 degrees.
Macadamia trees burst with highly scented, creamy coloured racemes (flowers) in late winter and early spring and nut fall is expected in a six-month cycle. The nuts fall naturally from the tree, green in colour and are harvested between April and September, scooped off the ground by pinwheel harvesters. The nuts are dehusked and dried onsite at Wondaree before being sent away for additional drying and finally cracking, a process that ensures the nut kernels are rich and crisp.
The Farm
Wondaree is our family farm. Every nut in a Wondaree pack comes from a tree in the orchard of our home, and there’s a goodness and care there that you can find in every packet.
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