If you’re looking to stay in Australia for a second or third year on your working holiday visa, then you’ll know all about getting those precious days of regional work under your belt. But where to start? One of the first steps is to find out exactly where the main growing regions are. These areas have the highest production numbers and therefore also have the most jobs available. Employment is highly seasonal, so it is also good to be informed of which crop is grown where and when the season starts. Australia’s vast agricultural sector offers backpackers on a Working Holiday Visa a wide range of opportunities for farm work. From fruit picking in Queensland to vineyard work in South Australia, the choice of location can significantly impact your experience. Here’s a guide to the best places for farm work across the country, ensuring you make the most of your Australian adventure.
From July 1, 2024, UK passport holders can be granted up to three Working Holiday Visas for Australia without having to meet any specified work requirements. The new arrangement is part of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement and applies to all Working Holiday visa applications for UK passport holders lodged from the date of implementation. Read more on: FTA between Australia & UK
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What is the best spot to find farm work in Australia?
There are many different areas in Australia where you can find farm work, depending on the season and the type of work you are interested in. Here are some of the best spots to find farm work in Australia:
- Queensland is renowned for its fruit and vegetable farms, with a variety of jobs available throughout the year. Fruit and vegetable picking, as well as jobs in the sugar cane industry, are common in the region.
- Victoria is known for its dairy industry, with many opportunities for farm work available in the state. Other types of work in the region include fruit picking and vineyard work.
- New South Wales is a large state with a variety of farm work opportunities available throughout the year. Jobs in the state include fruit picking, dairy farming, and poultry farming.
- Western Australia is home to a large number of farms, with opportunities for work in the dairy, grain, and livestock industries. Fruit picking is also available in the region during the harvest season.
- South Australia is a popular destination for fruit picking, with jobs available in the state’s orchards and vineyards. Dairy farming and sheep farming are also common in the region.
The Fruit Picking Map
Are you looking for a job in Fruit Picking? Get free access to more than 400 farm contacts via our interactive map.
There are agricultural regions that are better known because they employ more workers throughout the year. The disadvantage is that these areas are often packed with backpackers. The best way to find a good Fruit Picking job is probably to go away from the coast and avoid “popular” areas. Workers are more sought after in these regions, but then again, there is also less work.
Before starting a job, make sure to check that the kind of work and the region are eligible for your Second Year Visa.
Map of the Best Locations for your Farm Work in Australia
Atherton Tablelands, QLD
Up near Cairns in Far North Tropical Queensland, the Atherton Tablelands is home to a wide range of Australia farm work opportunities. The Atherton Tablelands, with its cooler climate, is ideal for avocado and banana picking, offering work almost year-round. Atherton Tablelands is around 90 kilometres south-west of Cairns.
🥑 Fruits/veg to pick: Avocados make up a large part of the harvest, as well as mangoes, citrus, bananas and sugarcane.
📅 Best season: Work is available mainly during the hot summer months between December and March.
DEMAND FOR WORKERS: HIGH
DEMAND FOR WORKERS: AVERAGE
Bowen, QLD
Situated just above the Whitsundays, the large town of Bowen is a remarkably sleepy town for its size, that is until picking season starts in May! Then the town is flooded with hoardes of backpackers all looking to do their farm work and suddenly the place is buzzing.
🥭 Fruits/veg to pick: Huge diversity of crops from mango and zucchini to tomato, corn and capsicum.
📅 Best season: There is a large variety of crops all of which need picking at slightly different times. In turn, this means that the season starts in May and stretches for a long period of time and you should be able to find some work at some point during it.
Ayr, QLD
Just up the road from Bowen, the town of Ayr is smaller and more compact, but just as busy when the picking season hits. Here too, most of the accommodation is provided by hostels that also work as sub-contractors to outsource the Australia farm work to backpackers.
🍅 Fruits/veg to pick: Huge diversity of crops from mango and zucchini to tomato, corn and capsicum (similar to Bowen)
📅 Best season: The season in Ayr is similar to Bowen. Start trying to find work from around March.
Stanthorpe, QLD
In the south of Queensland lies the small town of Stanthorpe. Not much to do there, but perfect if you are looking for a fruit picking job!
🍎 Fruits/veg to pick: This place is famous for its apple production. With over 30 different varieties grown in the region, apples here are big business, so if you don’t mind climbing ladders, this is probably the spot to head.
📅 Best season: The season is running from February to June.
Griffith, NSW
Griffith, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, is famous for its vineyards and citrus fruit farms. It’s an excellent place for backpackers to find work pruning vines or harvesting grapes and oranges, particularly from February to April.
🍇 Fruits/veg to pick: Grape, citrus and stone-fruit.
📅 Best season: The grape season starts around mid-February and lasts for six to eight weeks.
The citrus harvest runs from November until March.
Mildura, VIC
Situated on the banks of the Murray River, Mildura is a prime location for vineyard work and citrus fruit picking. The region’s warm climate means there’s almost always work available, with peak seasons in the Australian summer and autumn months.
🍋 Fruits/veg to pick: Citrus, grapes and vegetable production.
📅 Best season: At most times of the year someone somewhere needs something picked!
Tamar Valley, TAS
Down in Tasmania, it really is all about the cherries and the berries. This fruit is picked right across the island, but perhaps most popularly in the Tamar Valley.
🍒 Fruits/veg to pick: Cherries and berries.
📅 Best season: The season runs during the summer months between December and February, when it’s warm enough to be down here!
Margaret River, WA
Besides being a famous tourist destination for its surf and wines, Margaret River provides opportunities for vineyard work and dairy farming. The wine harvest season from March to May is the busiest period for backpackers seeking farm work.
🍇 Fruits/veg to pick: Mainly grapes.
📅 Best season: The season has two main highs – June to September is the pruning period and February to April is the grape picking time.
Huon Valley, TAS
Tasmania’s cooler climate is perfect for apple picking, with the Huon Valley being a prime location. Apple harvest season runs from February to April, but there’s also work available in cherry picking during the summer months.
🍎 Fruits/veg to pick: This place is famous for its apple production. Apples here are big business here and the perfect spot to pick all varieties.
📅 Best season: Apple harvest season runs from February to April.
What is the best season to find farm work?
It’s important to note that farm work availability can vary depending on the time of year and weather conditions, so it’s best to research the specific area you are interested in before heading there to find work.
The best season to find farm work depends on the region you are in. In the southern part of Australia, the highest demand for labour is between November and February (harvest period). In the north, where the climate is tropical, you find work throughout the year. Some fruits or vegetables are obviously picked at a certain time of year. The best way to learn about the seasons is to have a look at the calendar of Fruit Picking in Australia.
You can also check the seasons in the National Harvest Labour guide, which is published every year and available for free online or at tourist information centres.
How to find farm work in Australia?
There are different ways to approach employers, either by phone or by contacting farmers in person. Download our Backpackers guide to access the contact details of over 400 farms.
If you have a vehicle, the best way to find a job during the harvest season is to go from door to door and ask.
You can also find a job online, by searching on job boards or the website Gumtree, which publishes all kinds of classified ads. Apart from that, you have to watch out for scams!
A great way to find a job in fruit picking is by word of mouth. Also, ask around in hostels.
Download the Backpackers Guide
Our FREE 400-page eBook contains all the information you need for your WHV in Australia :
- administrative procedures
- transport and ways of travelling
- jobs & +500 fruit picking contacts
- regions and practical life
- numerous discounts
Working conditions, housing & wages
Working conditions vary from farm to farm and are also subject to the weather.
Our feedback
- Cherries: easy to pick as the fruit is light and is at an accessible height in the trees. Prefer harvesting before summer to avoid high temperatures.
- Oranges: fruits are heavy, the trees are very tall and the branches are thorny. Be in good physical condition as you will need to carry the oranges in your bag to the top of the ladders. Prefer harvesting before summer to avoid high temperatures.
- Lemons: lighter, lemons are also harvested all year round. Prefer harvesting before summer to avoid high temperatures.
- Fruits and vegetables grown on the ground: they also require good physical conditions, because you spend your day leaning and your back will let you know.
If you have your own vehicle
Do you have a vehicle that allows you to sleep in it? You will probably have a better chance of finding a job on a farm. Ask to move into the property to reduce your gas and housing costs. How ? Talk to the farmers. They often have a free piece of land with a water point, a fridge and a shower. Otherwise, campsites or caravan parks and freecamps are often close to the farms.
If you don’t have your own vehicle
No vehicle? No accommodation? Go to a backpacker hostel. In these agricultural areas, most are “working hostels”. They offer to find you a job on the farms. Arm yourself with patience, because you will have to pay for your accommodation until a spot becomes available!
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Wages
Wages and payment methods are unique to each farm. Usually, wages are decent in South Australia because farmers need labour all year round.
It is possible to be paid by the hour or at a piece rate (where you are paid by the amount of goods you have picked, pruned, packed or made). The minimum wage will be different depending on whether you are paid by the hour or at a piece rate. As of July 2023, the minimum legal wage in Australia is $23.23 per hour or $882.20 per week.
As of 2022, pieceworkers are guaranteed a minimum hourly wage. Full-time and part-time employees are guaranteed $22.61 per hour, and casual employees are guaranteed $28.26 per hour. For your piece rate calculations, you would need to apply 15% on top of these rates. This would mean that a pieceworker, when working at the required productivity, would need to earn at least $26.00 per hour if they are full-time or part-time, and at least $32.50 per hour if they are casual.
FAQ
You need to do 88 days, or three months, of specified work to get your second Working Holiday Visa. To do this, you must complete the same number of normal work days or shifts as a full-time employee in that role and industry would normally work in a three-month period. See our article on how to calculate your 88 days for more information.
Yes you can. If you are on the Working Holiday Visa, you can only work up to six months with one employer for many jobs in Australia. However, the plant and animal cultivation industry is exempt from this, as are many other industries in northern Australia, including hospitality and construction.
All workers in Australia are protected by law, regardless of visa status or citizenship. Your employer must comply with Australian workplace laws, and are obliged to pay you for all time worked. They must also provide a safe working environment. If you have any worries or complaints about your employer, you can get in touch with the Fair Work Commission.
After July 1, 2024, UK citizens will not have to complete specified work to apply for a second or third Working Holiday Visa. If you are a UK citizen and applying for your second or third Working Holiday Visa before this date, you will still have to have done your specified work.
Before you start a job for your 88 days, you should make 100% sure that the location of the work is in an eligible regional area. You can find the list of eligible postcodes here.
No, most farm jobs do not require previous experience. Employers typically look for hardworking and reliable workers.
[…] and New Zealand are best-known for their farm work opportunities which are particularly alluring for students during their gap year, as well as backpackers who are […]
I love farming, loved to work in Australia but but dont know where to start from
Hi Latila,
Check out our website and all our pages to help you to organise your trip. First step is to check out your visa options 🙂 Cheers