Australia is a huge country. From temperate Tasmania to the tropical heat and humidity of Far North Queensland, the variety of climates means that Aussie produce is always ripening throughout the year.
That’s great news for backpackers, because there’s always harvest work to be done. And travelling the country picking its crops is a great way to explore this wide, brown land, all while funding your adventures.
In fact, there’s a dedicated path that you can follow to secure year-round Australian harvest work: The Harvest Trail.
The Harvest Trail
The Harvest Trail is a path that follows harvests and related farm work around Australia. It hits 12 different regions, one for every month of the year, and journeys through all six Australian states.
As Australia’s favourite recruitment website for backpackers and working holiday makers, at Backpacker Job Board we’re deeply familiar with the slow turning of the country’s harvest seasons. And for those looking to fund their Australian adventures, we’re the go-to resource for open harvest jobs at your next destination.
We’ve used our deep knowledge and expertise to develop our definitive Harvest Trail guide: a month-by-month breakdown of peak harvest seasons around the country.
When and where can you pick some fruit and make some dough? Let’s find out.
January: Bundaberg, QLD
- Crop: Sweet potatoes, tomatoes
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
In Bundaberg, a city four hours north of Brisbane on the Queensland coast, January is peak season for sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
A key step on the well trodden east coast backpacker trail, Bundaberg is a backpacker-friendly city with plenty of affordable hostels, which brings the chance to meet and work with other working holiday makers.
Bundaberg also serves up plenty of fun. It’s a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, and it is located right next to K’gari, the world’s largest sand island.
February: Stanthorpe, QLD
- Crop: Apples, stone fruits
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
Found three hours southwest of Brisbane, near the New South Wales border, Stanthorpe is a cute town and region nestled in the mountains of the Great Dividing Range.
One of the coolest regions in otherwise tropical Queensland, Stanthorpe is one of the few places in the state where apples, grapes and stone fruit can be grown. These crops are ripe for the picking around February every year, which is when this town of 5000 explodes into life with backpackers and gun pickers for hire.
The proximity to Brisbane, Byron Bay and the east coast backpacker trail once again make Stenthorpe an easy and comfortable place to hunker down in for a month of harvesting.
March: Griffith, NSW
- Crop: Table grapes, citrus
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
From Queensland we journey south to New South Wales, and specifically to the Riverina region, often referred to as the food bowl of Australia.
The capital of the region, Griffith, is a town of 20,000 that is perhaps best known for its citrus, but also grows a healthy amount of grapes at this time of year too. Large farms, reliable work and the friendly vibe of a big country town make this a popular destination for working holiday makers.
March is a fun time of year to visit too: warm, dry conditions mean you can enjoy the waters of the region’s many lakes, while a string of community events give you a chance to mix and mingle with the locals.
April: Shepparton, VIC
- Crop: Apples, pears
- Job roles: Picking, sorting, packing, canning
Just two hours north of Melbourne you’ll find the relatively sleepy regional hub of Shepparton – a city of 50,000 located on the fertile soils of the Goulburn River floodplain.
A major fruit-growing hub, April is the last month of an often hectic apple and pear season in Shepparton. Work is plentiful, from harvesting fruit in local orchards, to canning and packing the good stuff at the local SPC facility.
Workers can choose between farm or hostel stays, and there’s plenty of non-work fun to be had: beautiful botanic gardens, cute farmers’ markets, wildlife reserves and more.
May: Huon Valley, TAS
- Crop: Apples, cherries
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
From Victoria we jump the Bass Strait and head to Australia’s southernmost point. Covering the southern tip of Tasmania, the Huon Valley is a gorgeously green and temperate locale that feels more like Europe than Oz.
On the banks of the Huon River, a stone’s throw from Hobart, you’ll find orchard after orchard of apples and cherries, ripened in the crisp Tassie autumn air. While a ‘one for me, one for you’ picking system might be tempting, it’s important to know that cherries are a mild natural laxative. You have been warned.
As for the area, the Huon Valley is a perfectly quiet and peaceful place to be – ideal for hikers, nature lovers, and anyone who appreciates the charms of a campfire.
View all our cherry picking jobs.
June: Coonawarra, SA
- Crop: Grapes
- Job roles: Vine pruning, vineyard work
Across the water we travel again, back to Victoria, then on to South Australia via the stunning Great Ocean Road. Eventually you’ll come across a 15km strip of red ‘terra rossa’ soil, one of Australia’s most famous terroirs. Welcome to the Coonawarra wine region.
While grape harvest finished a few months ago, June is when vineyards do their maintenance and start their prep for the next season, pruning, weeding, planting and servicing irrigation systems.
Beyond a selection of some of Australia’s most famous cellar doors, the local area also serves up the Naracoorte Caves, jaw-dropping caverns filled to the gills with ancient Australian fossils.
View all our grape picking jobs.
July: Swan Valley, WA
- Crop: Grapes, winter vegetables
- Job roles: Vine pruning, vineyard maintenance, veg picking, packing, sorting
If you’re brave and/or patient, you might drive across the seemingly endless Nullarbor Plain to our next destination, the Swan Valley. What was once a distinct wine region is now almost a satellite suburb of Perth, though it has thankfully managed to retain its rural charm.
“Winter” in Swan Valley brings vineyard maintenance work and a winter vegetable harvest. We place winter in quotes because conditions here are particularly palatable: average July highs of 19C, and the consistent level of UV you’d expect from Australia’s sunniest capital.
With the Perth CBD just a 30 minute drive away, you’ll enjoy easy access to this vibrant city, and all the fun and adventure it serves up.
August: Carnarvon, WA
- Crop: Bananas, mangoes
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
900km to the north of Perth (FYI: that’s around the total length of the UK) is the 5000-strong rural outpost of Carnarvon. The unique position and climate of this region allows it to meet out-of-season demand for bananas and mangoes, which ripen in late winter every year.
Beyond picking and packing tropical fruits, there are a range of other specified work opportunities to, across livestock farming, fishing, mining and tourism.
Accommodation is limited, but available through working hostels and caravan parks, and your employer will be able to find you a place to stay if you find yourself in a jam. The warm climate and endless sun, meanwhile, make the Indian Ocean an oh so tempting proposition all year round, and you can get ready for some of the most spectacular sunsets you’ve ever witnessed.
September: Kununurra, WA
- Crop: Melons, mangoes
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
Do you enjoy a nice drive? If you answered yes, great, because the next stop on the Harvest Trail is 2500km away. It’s also still in Western Australia, giving you a sense of how obscenely vast this state is.
Kununurra is a tropical outback town near the WA and Northern Territory border. Home to 4500, September marks the melon and mango harvest. This is a truly unique work experience, though with average daily highs of 36C, it can be physically challenging.
This is one for the nature lovers, as Kununurra is surrounded by lush nature spread across red canyons and cliffs. You can explore Mirima National Park, or swim in nearby waterfalls after a hot day in the fields.
View all our mango picking jobs.
October: Mildura, VIC
- Crop: Citrus
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
From one side of Oz we journey to the other, which presents you with an opportunity to drive through the red centre and check out Uluru. Eventually you’ll arrive in Mildura, on the banks of the Murray River, Australia’s longest waterway.
Famous as a grape-growing area, Mildura also deals in citrus, and in October you’ll witness the ripening of lemons, oranges and grapefruit, ready for you to pick, pack and sort.
After work, the riverland serves up plenty of play. Water skiing and wakeboarding, bird-watching, national parks; there’s something for everyone, no matter your version of fun.
November: Renmark, SA
- Crop: Stone fruit, citrus
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
In November the riverside citrus harvest continues just across the Victoria-South Australia border, this time with a serving of stone fruit thrown in.
Fun fact: the SA town of Renmark is the birthplace of boxed wine – which Australians lovingly refer to as goon – and the local wine-making industry remains strong. But in November you’ll bypass the grapes to harvest and process apricots, peaches, nectarines, oranges and lemons.
Like Mildura, Renmark serves up bucketloads of river-related fun, and is loaded with all the accommodation and amenities that a backpacker could need.
December: Goulburn Valley, VIC
- Crop: Peaches, plums, cherries
- Job roles: Picking, packing, sorting
Back to northern Victoria we travel in December, when the Goulburn Valley cities of Shepparton, Seymour, Echuca, Benalla, Yarrawonga and Kyabram harvest peaches, plums, cherries and other stone fruit.
This region is known for its warm embrace of seasonal workers, and has plenty to offer besides the harvest work, with charming towns like Nagambie, Euroa and Mooroopna a treat to explore.
And if you’ve arrived at the end of the Harvest Trail needing a brief escape from the rural life, a fun weekend in Melbourne is just a two-hour drive away.
Harvest Trail Map
2025 Australian Harvest Guide
The Harvest Trail above is just one way to track the demand for seasonal work around Australia. But you can also blaze your own path.
The Backpacker Job Board 2025 Australian Harvest Guide is designed to help you do exactly that. We’ve logged peak harvest seasons across the country, giving you an easy to follow guide that you can use to plan your own adventure.
- View our Australian Harvest Guide
