The link for the Across clues is that these are all fruit grown in Australia. Some of them are not at all Pom-friendly, and without the Internet, and especially http://www.campionandcurtis.com/seasonal.html, I would have been at a loss. I can’t imagine many other solvers get their 5-a-day from many of these.

Across

5 F (EI)< J O A - Holden is Australia’s main car manufacturer. I think this is Auster’s hint to the link. In fact, the name “Auster” should have been somewhat of a clue …

9 PO (ME) LO

10 RAM BUT AN

12 ELDER BERRY - Reference to Chuck Berry - outstanding clue

13 BOY SON BERRY

18 KAFFIR LIME - (IMF FLAKIER)*

22 MUSCATEL - (CAMUS)* (LET)<  THis is first across that I got which gave me the idea that we were looking for fruit or wine.

23 PEP IN O

24 O RANGE - i.e zero range - a traditional clue. Made me stop thinking about wine and concentrate on fruit.

25 SAP (OTE)*

Down

1 JILL A ROO - A female version of a Jackaroo : an inexperienced Australian rancher

5 FEELER - The last I got and probably the easiest clue here - a simple double definition i.e “put feelers out”

7 ON AGRA - Knew the Taj was in Agra, needed Internet to confirm this was the Evening Primrose

8 C (RED) ENT IALS - i.e RED in CENT with an anagram of SAIL

14 STRA (TEG)< Y

15 REDEPLOY - (REED PLOY)*

16 CARUSO - CA (OURS)* where Ca. is short for Circa (about)

17 S TAN CE - S(outh) TAN, second half of the word Race

20 ESPIAL - (i LAPSE)*