Fruit Picking Season Calendar: State by State
What is being harvested where, month by month, so you can plan a route instead of guessing.
Australia’s harvest calendar runs almost year-round, but only if you know where to be and when. Showing up to a region in the off-season is one of the most common and avoidable mistakes backpackers make while chasing their 88 days. This calendar breaks the country down state by state and month by month, so you can plan a realistic route rather than arriving to an empty orchard.
Quick view: what’s picking each month
Stone fruit (VIC, NSW, QLD), cherries wrapping up, berries
Peak nationally: grapes begin (SA, VIC), apples start (VIC, TAS)
Grape harvest continues, apples and pears in full swing
Grapes wrapping up, citrus season begins (QLD, NSW, SA)
Citrus continues, WA winter crops (Carnarvon) ramp up
Avocados (QLD, WA), citrus peak, WA and NT dry season begins
Avocados continue, NT mangoes and melons ramp up
Avocados wrapping up, strawberries begin (QLD, NSW)
Strawberries and berries ramp up nationally
Berries continue, NT mango season peaks
Cherries begin (VIC, TAS, NSW), berries in full swing
Cherries peak, stone fruit begins, summer berries continue
Tropical northern regions (far north Queensland, the Northern Territory) run on a dry season and wet season rather than four seasons, and offer work through winter when the southern states are quieter. This is what makes a genuine year-round route possible.
Queensland
Bananas, tropical fruit, and winter vegetables
Far North Queensland (Tully, Innisfail, Atherton Tablelands) grows bananas almost year-round. Bundaberg and Bowen offer mixed tropical fruit and vegetables year-round, peaking May to October. The Granite Belt around Stanthorpe produces apples, stone fruit, and grapes in summer and autumn. Winter vegetable growing is strong in the Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs.
New South Wales
Cherries, citrus, and wine grapes
Young and Bathurst are known for cherries, peaches, and nectarines through summer. The Hunter Valley, Riverina, and Griffith regions produce wine grapes, harvested February to April. Citrus season in the Riverina picks up through autumn and winter. NSW farm work runs busiest November to April, peaking in February.
Victoria
Stone fruit, apples, and the Yarra Valley
Shepparton and Mildura are strong hubs for stone fruit and grapes, with Cobram known specifically for stone fruit varieties. Apple and pear picking runs February to May, concentrated in cooler regions. The Yarra Valley and Gippsland produce strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Victoria’s harvest calendar runs busiest November to April, peaking in February, similar to NSW.
South Australia
Grapes, citrus, and Riverland fruit
The Barossa Valley, Australia’s oldest wine region, is the classic destination for grape picking, running February to April. The Riverland area along the Murray River offers citrus in winter and berries like strawberries and raspberries in summer, with work available close to year-round. The Adelaide Hills add orchard fruit to the mix. SA’s busiest period is also February to April.
Western Australia
Grapes, avocados, and the winter north
Margaret River offers vineyard work most of the year plus an avocado season from August to January and grape harvest February to April. Carnarvon is the standout winter hub, producing large volumes of tomatoes, capsicum, and bananas, peak June to August. Further north, Kununurra and the Kimberley offer melons, mangoes, and pastoral work through the dry season, May to October.
Tasmania
Apples, berries, and a short, busy season
Tasmania produces close to a fifth of Australia’s apples, centred on the Huon Valley south of Hobart. The season is comparatively short and busy, generally running December to May, and covers apples, pears, stone fruit, hops, grapes, and berries including strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Cherry season in the Huon and Derwent Valleys is popular and fills quickly, so apply early.
Northern Territory
Mangoes and the dry season rush
The NT has a compact but important tropical harvest sector centred on Darwin and Katherine. Mango picking creates the best-known seasonal rush, running through the dry season with a peak around October to November. Melons around Katherine and Darwin run May to October, and citrus and bananas are grown year-round in the region.
Planning a route
A flexible route generally works better than a rigid twelve-month plan. One realistic pattern: mango work in the NT during spring, then NSW or Victoria for cherries and stone fruit in early summer, then South Australia or Tasmania for grapes and apples in late summer and autumn. Alternatively, stay within one state and follow different crops between regions, such as moving between tropical north Queensland, Bundaberg, and the Granite Belt.
Long distances between regions, weather disruptions, and competition for work can all make rapid moves expensive, so build a small travel buffer rather than relying on immediate farm income to fund your next move.
Frequently asked questions
There is no single best month nationally since Australia’s regions run on different calendars. February is the busiest period across the southern states (NSW, VIC, SA), while the tropical north (QLD, NT, WA) offers reliable work through winter.
Yes, with careful planning. Following a route between southern summer harvests and northern winter harvests is how many backpackers keep working close to year-round, though gaps between crops are common and worth budgeting for.
Queensland and Western Australia are often considered easier for volume and competition respectively, Queensland for its near year-round tropical harvest, and WA for having less backpacker competition than the east coast. That said, availability shifts with the season everywhere.
Ready to plan your regional work?
Check our full guide to the 88-day requirement and how farm work counts toward your second-year visa.
Read the 88-Day Guide- Harvest Trail: government-backed harvest season and job listings
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Pastoral Award pay rates and conditions
- Department of Home Affairs: specified work postcodes and requirements
Harvest timing shifts year to year with weather and growing conditions. Treat these dates as a planning guide rather than a guarantee, and confirm current availability with Harvest Trail or local employers before travelling to a region for work.