It still amazes me the forces of serendipity that got us here. We are in an ideal location to grow olives.

Late autumn we start getting frosts. This year we missed the second harvest by two weeks before the serious frosts started. And once they started we had something like 12 frosty mornings in two weeks. We had a few days in a row at less than zero degrees, and more than a few days where it was cold enough to freeze a crust over the chooks water.

Frost to olives can be catastrophic. In the next valley, less than 15 km from here, is a grove of large trees, and every year the crop is hard hit by frost. They are further round the base of Mount Buffalo, so they get more shade, and more cold air flowing down the mountain.
But that doesn't happen to us.

Where we are, we are further away from that downdraft. There are three ranges of small hills between us and the base of Mt McLeod, so we don't get that cold lava flow of frigid air.

As well as that, we have the river between that cold air flow and our trees. I particularly noticed in during those frosty days. It was minus 4 outside, and the frost carpeted our paddocks. But for about 100 metres up from the river there was no frost. The moving water moderated the local air temperature to the point that frost didn't form.

The other thing that happens is that the hills on the other side of us, looking east, are also low. That means we get the sun hitting our paddocks and trees at a critical time of day on a frosty morning, so the period where the frost lies over everything is quite short-lived.
And I think the other thing in our favour is that our trees are primarily frantoio. Other varieties seem to take the cold harder. Even on harsh, frosty mornings I have specifically checked trees and returned later to look for frost damage. So far I've never found any.

This time of year its still dark when I get started. I sort out feed and head out, dogs clipped into the buggy. And I think "It's so cold….but no frost!". Then, bizarrely, as the daylight brightens and the fields become more visible, you can see the frost forming and spreading! Its very odd.

The frost in itself has a major benefit. This year the lacebug population was thriving. Near us, I know of two olive groves that have been crucified by lacebug this year. At our place, I had sprayed more than once, but I was still seeing ongoing leave damage and discoloration. But the frosts have wiped them out. I have no doubt we will see them again, but that cold two weeks has set them back for another year.