AUSTRALIAN HARVEST SEASONS

Any backpacker, "grey nomad" or student thinking of using fruit and vegetable picking to fund their travels or studies in Australia will find the lists and tables below useful.

The list is organized in categories after states. Under each state you will find all the information you need when looking for fruit picking work at different times of the year in different parts of Australia.

Queensland - Pick your way around the "Sunshine State"
Queensland is growing one-third of the nation's fruit and vegestable produce from Stanthorpe in the South to the Atherton Tablelands in the far North. Every year thousands of picking jobs are available throughout Queensland. More than 120 types of fruit and vegetable are picked and packed in the state every year all year round.

New South Wales - Pick & Choose your lifetime adventure!

Fruit and vegetable picking in New South Wales is an outstanding way to pay for all the exciting adventures and experiences the state has to offer! Travel to the breathtaking mountains, ski, hike, surf or gaze under the desert stars! Pick your way to any imaginable New South Wales adventure!

November to April is the busiest harvest period peaking in February. You can literally find fruit picking work all around Bathurst in the central Eastern district. Main produce includes orchard fruits, cotton and onions. Further North around the coastal areas of NSW, near Coffs Harbour bananas are grown all year.

Victoria - Just pick a way!
You are more likely to run out of time than things to do in this stunning state and there is plenty of fruit picking work to get your hands on in proximity of the worlds most beautiful coastline, extraordinary national parks and the buzzing city life in Melbourne.

November to April (peaking in February) is the main season for fruit and vegetable picking jobs in Victoria. Work is plenty in central northern areas of Victoria around Shepparton (next door to the Grampians National Park). The Murray River area is also a great area to look for work, places such as Mildura and Swan Hill often require seasonal workers. Main harvests in these areas include orchard fruits, tomatoes, tobacco, grapes and soft fruits.

Tasmania - Pick your way across The Bass Strait
Also known as the "Apple Isle", Tasmania represents almost a fifth of the apple production in Australia. The first apple tree was planted in Tasmania in the 1700's. Today 120 families around the state grow approximately 55.000 Tones of apples every year. The bulk of Tasmania's apples are grown in the Huon district South of Hobart - just one of Tasmanias gateways to unspoiled wilderness, fascinating wildlife, history and heritage.

Unlike most other states in Australia, Tasmania has a relatively short fruit picking season. For about six months, generally from December to the end of May, fruitpicking jobs are available all around this beautiful island. When the fruitpicking season starts there is plenty of work available picking apples, pears, wide variety of stonefruits, hops, grapes, berries and much more.

South Australia - Gateway to outback adventures, vineyards & Kangaroo Island
In South Australia you can get a real taste of the finer things in life combined with unique nature experiences, rare wildlife and exhilirating outback adventures! And most amazingly - you can easily find work in this beautiful Southern state to pay for it ALL!

South Australia offers fruit and vegetable picking jobs all year around e.g. picking citrus and soft fruits such as raspberries and strawberries around the Riverland area. Seasonal work from February to April work is usually available around The Barossa Valley picking and packing the grapes that have made this region famous worldwide.

Western Australia - Australias largest state!
Awesome environment, super friendly people, the worlds largest fish, ancient trees and more sunshine than you know what to do with! Western Australia is an amazing place to work!

Fruit and vegetable picking jobs are widely available in the Southwest of the state. Every year from October to June you can cash up by harvesting grapes and orchard fruits. From March to November fishing and processing work is available for crayfish, prawns and scallops on the west coast between Fremantle and Carnarvon. From May to October fruit and vegetable picking & packing jobs are easy to find in the northeast, around Kununurra.

Northern Territory - Work your way North!
Blessed with iconic natural wonders, spectacular national parks, amazing wildlife and the wast red desert, Northern Territory has it all! The best thing is; you can simply work your way to explore it all!

Whilst it can be diffecult to find good information about the possibilities for fruit and vegetable picking jobs in the Northern Territory it is widely available. Seasonal work from May to October picking melons around Katherine and Darwin is popular. From October to November mango pickers & packers are needed both around Katherine and Darwin. Citrus and bananas are grown all year around Katherine. And Darwin (Gateway to Kakadu National Park) offer possibilities for picking work all year picking bananas, citrus, vegetables and cutting flowers.