There is harvest work all year round in Australia, but it changes by area: bananas in Queensland in any month, grapes in South Australia from January to April and cherries in Victoria from November to January. These tables show when people are usually needed. They are not a promise of work, and the weather can move the dates.
Where do these dates come from?
Almost all come from the National Harvest Guide, from a service set up on behalf of the federal government. We could only read a copy revised in November 2018, hosted on the website of a growers' association in Bundaberg. The data is from 2018, except where another source is given.
We could not read the current site, Harvest Trail: it only showed a loading error.
When is the harvest in Queensland?
In Queensland there is work all year, with northern bananas and Bundaberg vegetables as continuous crops. Stanthorpe comes from Southern Downs council (undated page), and capsicum from a Queensland body (2024).
| Area | Crop | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Stanthorpe | Grapes, apples and pears | February-May |
| Stanthorpe | Strawberries | October-May |
| Stanthorpe | Stone fruit | November-January |
| Bundaberg | Vegetables | All year |
| Bundaberg | Avocados | March-August |
| Bowen | Mangoes | November-January |
| Innisfail and Tully | Bananas | All year |
| Mareeba | Mangoes | November-March |
| Gayndah | Citrus | March-September |
| Gatton | Cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and broccoli | May-November |
| Wide Bay Burnett | Capsicum | May-August |
When is the harvest in New South Wales?
In New South Wales, Griffith citrus and Coffs Harbour bananas take up the whole year, and the rest goes by season.
| Area | Crop or task | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Griffith | Citrus | All year |
| Griffith | Grapes | January-April |
| Griffith | Vine pruning | June-August |
| Young | Cherries | November-December |
| Orange | Apples | February-May |
| Batlow | Apples | March-May |
| Coffs Harbour | Bananas | All year |
| Coffs Harbour | Blueberries | July-January |
| Moree | Cotton | March-May |
| Hunter Valley | Grapes | January-March |
When is the harvest in Victoria?
In Victoria, tree fruit runs from November to May, according to Fruit Growers Victoria, a growers' association. Mildura and Swan Hill add grapes and citrus almost all year.
| Area | Crop | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Mildura | Grapes | February-September |
| Mildura | Citrus | May-January |
| Swan Hill | Stone fruit | September-February |
| Robinvale | Almonds and pistachios | February-June |
| Shepparton | Stone fruit | January-March |
| Shepparton | Apples | March-May |
| Cobram | Citrus | All year |
| Yarra Valley | Strawberries | October-May |
| Yarra Valley | Cherries and berries | November-January |
| Koo Wee Rup | Asparagus | September-December |
When is the harvest in South Australia?
In South Australia, grapes are picked from January to April in the Riverland and from February to April in the Barossa and Adelaide Hills.
| Area | Crop or task | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Riverland (Renmark, Berri) | Grapes | January-April |
| Riverland (Renmark, Berri) | Citrus | May-February |
| Riverland (Renmark, Berri) | Stone fruit | October-March |
| Barossa (Nuriootpa, Tanunda) | Grapes | February-April |
| Barossa (Nuriootpa, Tanunda) | Vine pruning | June-September |
| Adelaide Hills | Apples and pears | February-May |
| Adelaide Hills | Cherries | November-January |
| Coonawarra | Potatoes | February-June |
When is the harvest in Western Australia?
In Western Australia, Kununurra, in the north, has work from April to December. Manjimup and Donnybrook, in the south-west, mostly from December to June.
| Area | Crop | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Carnarvon | Bananas | All year |
| Carnarvon | Tomatoes and capsicum | May-December |
| Kununurra | Melons and pumpkins | May-November |
| Kununurra | Mangoes | October-December |
| Manjimup | Apples and pears | February-May |
| Donnybrook | Apples | February-June |
| Donnybrook | Stone fruit | December-March |
| Margaret River | Grapes | February-April |
| Mount Barker | Strawberries | October-May |
When is the harvest in the Northern Territory?
In the Northern Territory, mangoes are picked from September to November in Darwin and from October to December in Katherine. Mangoes Australia, the industry association, places it in September in Darwin and in October and November in Katherine.
| Area | Crop | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Darwin | Mangoes | September-November |
| Darwin | Melons | August-October |
| Katherine | Mangoes | October-December |
| Katherine | Melons | May-November |
| Katherine | Vegetables | May-October |
When is the harvest in Tasmania?
In Tasmania, almost all fruit runs from December to May. This table comes from the calendar of the Tasmanian Government, the only state one we were able to read.
| Area | Crop or task | Months |
|---|---|---|
| North, north-west and south | Apples | February-May |
| North, north-west and south | Cherries | December-February |
| North, north-west and south | Strawberries | October-May |
| North, north-west and south | Blueberries and raspberries | December-May |
| North, north-west and south | Wine grapes, picking | February-May |
| North, north-west and south | Wine grapes, pruning | June-August |
| North-west and south | Hops, picking | February-March |
| North and north-west | Carrots | January-August |
How much do the dates change?
They can differ by several weeks depending on the source. The 2018 guide gives November and December for Young cherries. Cherry Growers Australia, the industry association, gives late October to mid-January for New South Wales.
Cereals depend on the rain. According to the guide, their harvest lasts about six to eight weeks in each area.
The guide and Southern Downs council ask you to confirm there is work before going to a farm. The guide gives a freecall number, 1800 062 332. We have not checked that it is still active.
Does a crop in these tables count for the 88 days?
These tables do not answer that: they are about harvests, not visas. What the legal instrument says depends on the subclass, the task and the postcode, and here we explain how to read the official list. The rules are in second and third visa, with the announced ballot, which is not yet law.
On pay and abuse, see farm work. If the word ABN comes up, see what it is and when it is used. On where to sleep, see where you sleep in these areas.
What could we not confirm?
- Current Harvest Trail calendar: its website did not load and harvesttrail.gov.au did not respond. We do not know how much the dates have changed since 2018.
- Victoria and Northern Territory: we could not check the official harvest pages.
- South Australia: we could not check the Regional Work SA calendar.
- New South Wales: the areas page did not show its data, and the help page was last updated in January 2023.
- Western Australia and Queensland: we have not opened a state calendar.
- Canberra: it has no section in the 2018 guide.
Sources
Seen on 5 November 2026.
- National Harvest Guide, revised in November 2018, official at source, copy on the Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers website.
- Tasmanian Government, official.
- Southern Downs Regional Council, official, undated.
- Health and Wellbeing Queensland, 1 May 2024, official.
- Help harvest NSW, 16 January 2023, official.
- Fruit Growers Victoria, third party.
- Cherry Growers Australia, third party.
- Mangoes Australia, third party.