A Seasonal Guide to Fruit Picking Around Australia

Picking your own fruit is as fresh as it gets. Have your basket at the ready and make a beeline for the farm gate, because there’s something to pick in every season.

Australia’s wide range of climates means that when it comes to fruit, there’s an incredible array of produce. From the cool, verdant landscapes of Tasmania where sweet berries thrive to the sweltering Queensland sun that ripens juicy tropical fruits like mangos and dragonfruit, fruit picking in Australia is as diverse as it is delicious.

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There’s also no greater satisfaction than eating a fruit you’ve picked yourself. Not only is picking your own as fresh as it gets, but it’s an activity that allows you to connect with the landscape and its seasons. Luckily, there’s always something fruiting on our vast continent. So we’ve broken down what to pick and where to pick it in this guide to pick-your-own fruit experiences around Australia.

Summer | Autumn | Winter | Spring

Fruit picking in summer

Cherries and berries

It’s no surprise that the pristine landscapes of Tasmania produce some of the sweetest cherries and berries in Australia. In the summer, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are all in full swing. Picking your own is a must-do Tassie experience, and there’s an abundance of farm gates and orchards where you can get your hands on fresh, ripe fruit.

For PYO berries, try out family-owned Hillwood Farms near Launceston. Call into Turners Beach Berry Patch near Devonport – and don’t pass up their famous berry ice cream from their farm cafe.

Pick berries in Tasmania — You can pick your own berries at plenty of farms in Tasmania, such as Turners Beach Berry Patch. (Image: Tourism Australia)

There are lots of cherry orchards clustered around Hobart where you can pluck the ruby-red gems straight from the tree. Check out Oneys Creek Cherries and Plenty Park Fruit Farm, which offers homemade cherry jam at the farm shop.

You’ll also find sweet, juicy cherries all across the tri-state area, too – with Young in Central West NSW especially well-known for its high-quality cherry produce.

Valley Fresh Cherries in Young NSW — Get the pick of the bunch at Valley Fresh Cherries in Young, NSW. (Image: Destination NSW)

Mangoes and tropical fruits

Nothing signals summer like the syrupy flesh of a mango or the candy-like sweetness of a lychee. In the hottest months of the year, the orchards of Queensland heave with tropical delights ready for the picking. Get your tropical fix at the Longan Farm in Narangba , just 34 kilometres north of Brisbane, where you can pick your own juicy mangoes and ripe longans (a tropical fruit similar to a lychee). Mangos are one of our top Australian foods worth travelling for.

Queensland Mango picking — The hot Queensland sun ripens tropical fruits like mangos to perfection. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

You’ll find lashings of lychees across the state, which you can pick and gorge on at farms like family-run Lush Lychees in South Yaamba, Central Queensland.

For those with an adventurous palate, rare tropical fruits await in North Queensland. Guests at Wildwood Retreat, located on Cape Trib Exotic Fruit Farm can walk through the orchards sampling fruity delights such as dragonfruits, mangosteens, rambutans and papayas. Or, pop by for a fruit tour, where you can sample rarities like breadfruit, durians, and pangium edule (football fruit).

Lychees on tree — Pick and gorge on lychees in Central Queensland.

Peaches and other stonefruits

Everything’s just peachy during stonefruit season in NSW. The hot, dry summers yield sweet, juicy fruits, which are ready to be picked when the mercury’s on the rise. The Peach Farm near Yamba on NSW’s North Coast is an off-grid and pet-friendly fruit farm that offers PYO peaches and nectarines by the bucket. It’s also a campsite, perfect for parking up for a night and watching the farm’s adorable troupe of pet ducks roam around.

Closer to Sydney, Cedar Creek Orchard in Thirlmere is a fruit farm that has been active since the 1940s, and in summer, you’ll find the trees dripping with peaches and juicy nectarines that can be picked.

In the Yarra Valley, you can pick peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and so much more at family-run, boutique fruit orchard Rayner’s Orchard .

Peaches on a tree — Everything’s just peachy during stonefruit season.

Fruit picking in autumn

Figs

Is there anything better than a soft, jammy fig? As autumn kicks into gear, the fig trees across the country’s south swell with these natural sugar bombs. To pick your own, head to Pot & Still in the Adelaide Hills, a 175-year-old estate and distillery that creates a range of fig-flavoured spirits. After you’ve collected your bounty, head to the onsite fig bar for a fig-inspired tipple.

Persimmons

A ripe persimmon is nature’s candy. This vibrant fruit adapts well to many climates but grows well along NSW’s coast. Pick your fill at a number of orchards close to Sydney, such as Cedar Creek Orchard or at the Bilpin Fruit Bowl located in the Greater Blue Mountains Area.

Apples

They don’t call Tasmania the Apple Isle for nothing. The southernmost state has been growing apples for 170 years and has a reputation as a producer of some of the country’s best. Picking your own apples in Tasmania is less common than picking cherries and berries, but you’ll still find some smaller farms like Sorrell Fruit Farm that will welcome visitors looking to pick their own.

You can also get your apple fix on the Tasmanian Cider Trail , which connects makers across the state.

Willie Smith's Apple Shed — Taste crisp Tassie cider at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed. (Image: Stu Gibson)

In NSW, you can get pickin’ at a number of orchards such as TNT Produce in Bilpin which is well-known for its apple produce. It’s a great spot to hunt out a range of delicious apple goodies such as juice, cider or sweet, freshly-baked apple pie. There’s also Glenbernie Orchard in Darkes Forest, where you can kick back at their onsite brewery with a glass of crisp apple cider to cap off a day of picking.

Glenbernie Orchard, Darkes Forest. — Crisp, fresh apples at Glenbernie Orchard in Darkes Forest, NSW. (Image: Dee Kramer Photography)

Pomegranates

The pomegranate is a mythic fruit. Full of hundreds of glistening ruby-like seeds, pomegranates have been an important symbol across many cultures since ancient times. These fruits grow particularly well in Western Australia. Come autumn, you can pick your own at orchards such as Gingin Pomegranates, just over an hour from Perth.

Pomegranate on tree — Pomegranate’s grow particularly well in WA.

Tomatoes

The Italian word for tomato is pomodoro. The word comes from pomo d’oro, literally ‘apple of gold’ – which tells you just how spectacular these fruits are. Whether you’re whipping up a passata or making a fresh garden salad, a freshly picked tomato levels up any meal.

You can get your pick of the bunch at Canoelands Orchard in North Sydney, or Emily Hill Farm in Dewhurst, Victoria. Want the heavy lifting done for you? The farm gate at Ricardos Tomatoes in Port Macquarie has plenty of fresh tomatoes, as well as a range of handmade sauces and chutneys, too.

Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries located in Port Macquarie — It doesn’t get fresher than Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries in Port Macquarie, NSW. (Image: Destination NSW)

Pears

Paracombe Premium Perry is a family-owned pear orchard and cidery – pick your own on select days. When you’re done, amble over to the shed door and treat yourself to a crisp, refreshing glass of pear cider. The onsite restaurant also serves up tasty sweet and savoury pear-inspired dishes, like pear and blue cheese pizza.

Fruit picking in winter

Macadamias

The delicious macadamia nut is native to north-east NSW and south-east Queensland and has been an important Indigenous bush food for millennia. Gathering these delicious, nutrient-rich nuts is easy: when they are ready, they’ll drop to the ground.

To gather macadamias, head to The Farm and Summerland Farm , both in Byron Bay. Here, you can wander through macadamia orchards, gathering the nuts and cracking them with the nut-cracker provided on the grounds.

In Queensland, check out Macadamias Australia , a family-owned farm in Bundaberg, where visitors can take tours of the orchard to learn the journey of this native Aussie nut from tree to table.

Macadamias being peeled at Tropical Fruit World, Duranbah. The nut is native to NSW and Queensland. (Image: Destination NSW)

Citrus

The zesty fragrance of a citrus tree is sure to cut right through your winter blues. Spend a day among the orange trees gathering the sweet, golden orbs, which fruit during the cooler months. Ford’s Farm on the Central Coast grows lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins and kumquats, and has operated as a Pick Your Own Orchard for more than 22 years. The shed sells homemade jam, chutneys, and oils – as well as coffee to warm you up after a day of picking.

Freshly picked oranges from an orchard in Cornwallis, NSW — Picking oranges in NSW will cut right through your winter blues. (Image: Destination NSW)

Fruit picking in spring

Avocados

Avocados are nature’s butter – creamy, delicious and packed with health benefits. You can bag your very own at orchards like Meliora Farm in Peats Ridge, an avocado and citrus farm that has been growing fruit since 1925.

Strawberries

It’s good news for strawberry lovers. These sweet delights are commonly grown across Australia, meaning it’s always strawberry season somewhere. This fruit is mostly associated with the summer, but they are still plentiful in the spring, too.

Victoria has over 100 strawberry farms, big and small. Here, the strawberry season typically begins in October, For picking your own, The Big Strawberry in Koonoomoo is a good sport to call in, where you’ll find a cafe, playground and their own strawberry liquor. Tuckerberry Hill Berry Farm on the Bellarine Peninsula also has a produce market and cafe.

Baskets of freshly picked strawberries — Victoria has over 100 strawberry farms.

South Australia is known for its great fruit-growing conditions, but its grapes tend to get all the glory as it’s home to some of the most esteemed wine regions in the world. But strawberries grow just as well the grapes, with many farms such as Harvest the Fleurieu , just an hour’s drive from Adelaide CBD.

There are plenty of growers in NSW, too, with the Riverina region being a particular highlight. Here, you can get your hands on some delicious strawberry jam, strawberry pie and strawberry ice cream – made fresh using local milk. Closer to Sydney, there’s Berrylicious Strawberries in Thilmere, just an hour’s drive from the CBD.

Riverina Strawberries — Strawberries grow well across NSW, Tas, Vic and SA. (Image: Penelope Beveridge; Margan Winery and Restaurant)

The heavens take centre stage at this Outback NSW glamping lodge.

Crane your neck. Look up. If it’s nighttime in a major Australian city, you might see a faint dusting of stars. Now imagine yourself out in the bush. Here, those stars aren’t just scattered dots – instead, they’re smudged across the sky in endless, glittering streaks. Welcome to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit , a new glamping lodge in one of the most picturesque corners of outback NSW.

Between its eight stargazing tents, Gilay Guest Lounge, and shared tales of the Dreamtime night sky, this retreat is designed to exist in harmony with the breathtaking lake and surrounding landscape. Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know.

Bathed in warm light, a couple watches the sun dip beyond the horizon. — Watch the sky melt into magic at Wilderluxe.

Getting to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit is in the NSW Northern Tablelands, bordered by the Great Dividing Range. The lake itself is hard to miss: this mammoth body of water is two-thirds the size of Sydney Harbour.

Just 40 minutes from Tamworth and close to Gunnedah, it’s on the inland route between Sydney and Byron Bay. Drive or take one of the daily flights to Tamworth’s airport.

Aerial view of Wilderluxe. — Let vast waters and towering ranges set the scene for your escape.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit rooms

Don’t settle for a paltry room when you can sleep directly under the cosmos. Wilderluxe offers eight domed ‘Star Tents’ , all named after Aboriginal sky stories – like Djirri Djirri, the sacred messenger bird, Baiame, the Sky Father and great creator, and Dhinawan, the Emu in the Sky constellation.

On a clear night, use your tent’s retractable roof for gazing above or wander to the outdoor bathtub on your private deck to soak under the night sky. No need to go anywhere. You can stay put come evening with a kitchenette inside and a gas barbecue on the deck.

A couple gazes up at a sky ablaze with stars at Wilderluxe. — Sleep beneath the stars.

Style and character

When it comes to aesthetics, Wilderluxe Lake Keepit stays on trend. The encampment blends with its surroundings, building up layers of minimalist visuals that mirror the ever-changing curves of the water.

Earthy tones, natural materials and timber finishes also anchor the retreat in its bushland surrounds. It’s enough to deepen the sense of calm you’ll experience as you drive off-grid, and this is only heightened as you spot kangaroos grazing at dawn or hear the chatter of native birds by the lake.

The dreamy sunset at Wilderluxe. — Go off-grid in style at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit dining

‘Dinner and a show’ hits differently with the property’s Big Sky dinner experience . Hosted in the Gilay Lounge, enjoy complimentary drinks and a grazing table with the host, followed by a screening of Big Sky Dreaming, a film produced exclusively for Wilderluxe guests in which Kamilaroi storyteller Uncle Len Waters narrates tales of the Dreaming above.

Once your imagination has been fed, it’s time to take a seat fireside for a glass of Australian port and a serving of s’mores.

Keen to explore the wider area? Staff can provide barbecue and picnic hampers, stuffed with regional meats, cheeses and organic local fare.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit facilities

While you could very well spend all your time in your tent, sometimes it’s time to hit pause on the celestial show. Instead, make your way up to the Gilay Guest Lounge, where you can relax on the deck overlooking the lake or the outdoor fire pits. It’s a great way to unwind and clink glasses with other stargazers.

The Gilay Lounge with the view of the lake. — Unwind by the fire and raise a glass at Gilay Lounge.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit experiences

No need to turn nocturnal; when the sun rises, there are still plenty of ways to touch the sky.

Lake Keepit hosted the 2020 Women’s World Gliding Championships, and it’s one of the best places in Australia to stretch your wings. The local Soaring Club operates year-round, meaning you can book a gliding experience any day of the year – or opt for a scenic flight to take in the vast beauty from above.

Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? There are plenty of walking and cycling trails in and around the area. Luckily, bikes are part of the Wilderluxe package. All you have to do is ask a staff member for their favourite route, throw a picnic onto the back and cycle off into the great beyond.

Alternatively, nab a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or kayak and head out onto the lake. Or, if you’re feeling lucky, borrow a fishing rod and try your chances.

A person kayaking through serene waters. — Paddle into peace.

The details

A two-night minimum twin-share accommodation package includes Big Sky dinner and drinks experience, plus daily continental breakfast. As well as access to leisure equipment including mountain bikes, kayaks, SUPs and fishing gear.

The interiors of the glamping tent. — Let nature restore you, while luxury takes care of the rest.

Start planning your outback glamping adventure at wilderluxe.com.au.

A seasonal guide to fruit picking around Australia