Fruit picking or fruit picking Australia
Essential to remember
My various adventures in fruit picking: grapes in Mildura (heat), apples in Donnybrook (pleasant season), mangoes in Kununurra (hectic pace), bananas in Tully (high humidity). Each farm has its own atmosphere, pace, and team.
During my stay in Australia, I did more than 5 fruit picking jobs, I will explain how I got them and the places where it happened!
  ;But first of all, if you want more information about fruit picking, take a look here:
  ;I worked in 5 different states in fruit picking:
  ;Fruit picking Australia Queensland:
Did you know?
According to the Working Holiday Maker Visa Report 2024, more than 35,000 foreign WHVs completed their 88 days in rural areas in 2023. The most used regions are Mildura, Bundaberg, and Kununurra.
I was a pumpkin picker for 10 days near Mareeba, it’s an hourly paid job but very tiring! In the Queen’s state, there are many youth hostels that offer jobs in Fruit picking, one could name Bundaberg for tomatoes, Tullyland for bananas or Ayr! Personally, I do not recommend going to a youth hostel to get a job because there is often a waiting time to get a job, you have to stay in the hostel to keep the job and you have to pay for transport to get to the farm! I found my job through an ad where I went and got the job! There are many travel agencies that also provide fruit picking jobs but you have to register with the agency (about 30 euros to get the job but at least it’s guaranteed)!
Fruit Picking New South Wales:
It is in this state that I had my first fruit picking experience, I worked as a cherry picker since I already talk about it in the cited article, I will not talk about it here but I found the job by going from farm to farm!
  ;Fruit Picking Australia Western Australia:
My experience
My best fruit picking memory: the mangoes in Kununurra with a team of French, Germans, Argentinians. 9 hours of work under 35°C, evening cold beer at the farm campsite. A close-knit community like rarely seen.
This experience was short but we learned a lot from it. What you need to know in Australia and on the roads is that there are many other people looking for work. I will tell you the story that happened for this job. Myself and other traveling colleagues had stopped on a part of the road and set up our camp. Our primary goal in this town was to look for work if possible without insisting! At nightfall, while we were preparing to eat, a car came by to see us! He asked if so-and-so had left and if he was coming back for a job. Knowing nothing, we pretended not to know anything and then asked for information. He told us there would be work tomorrow for 1 or 2 days and that we had to show up tomorrow at 6 am! Which we did, and we worked one day weeding pumpkin plants!
| Region | Fruits | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Mildura | Grapes, citrus | Jan-Mar |
| Donnybrook | Apples | Feb-Apr |
| Kununurra | Mangoes, melons | Sept-Dec |
| Tully | Bananas | All year |
| Bundaberg | Tomatoes, strawberries | May-Oct |
The lesson to remember: Stay motivated all the time even if you have to wake up early and be at the right time and place, there are many people who find work like this!
  ;Fruit picking Australia Victoria:
Advantages
- Validation of 2nd year WHV
- Accommodation often provided
- Multinational team
- Life in the great outdoors
- Possibility of net savings
Disadvantages
- Physically demanding work
- Harsh weather (heat or rain)
- Variable wages (sometimes performance-based)
- Spartan living
- Geographical isolation
We had worked in grape vineyards, paid by the hour! It was a very good job and very well paid! The story is as simple as the previous one, I had established contact with people in Tasmania because we had worked together for 2 months! He was in Victoria looking for work, so he was picking pears and was not satisfied. That’s how they asked around if there was work and a tip! They got information saying that in such a town, the grape season was about to start and went there (it was 150 km one way and 150 km back). They found the work and then called me to join them!
The thing to remember: talk around you and keep good contacts!
The classic trap to avoid
Never accept a farm that asks you for a “bond” (deposit) before starting work. It is illegal in Australia. Many scams target WHV holders in Gumtree ads.
Fruit picking Tasmania :
Undoubtedly the most profitable job I did in Australia, we worked as cherry sorters, paid by output and I managed to make between 30 and 35 dollars an hour but we only worked 3 to 7 hours maximum per day ! The cherry season is the season not to be missed because it is one of the most lucrative fruits !
If you are preparing for your departure, take a look at our guide on my fruit salaries which complements the topic well. The feedback around young and my also provides useful benchmarks to avoid unpleasant surprises. And for further inspiration, the article on fruit picking Australia is worth a detour.
  ;I found the job quite easily because I was in a caravan park and the recruiter often came to have a drink ! She also very often bought us a drink and she was funny !
  ;Find other articles in the Australia blog section !
Where to do fruit picking in Australia?
Mildura (grapes), Donnybrook (apples), Kununurra (mangoes), Bundaberg (tomatoes).
How to find a reliable farm?
backpackerjobboard.com.au, Gumtree (check ABN), Harvest Trail. Avoid vague ads.
What equipment for fruit picking?
UV t-shirts, cap, gloves, closed shoes, 2 L water bottle, SPF 50+ sunscreen.
