Australia harvest calendar: where to find farm work, month by month

Farm work in Australia follows the seasons: tomatoes in Bowen in winter, cherries in Tasmania at Christmas, grapes in Mildura in autumn. Here are the months when 23 harvest towns need the most workers from outside the region, so you arrive when the jobs are there.

Published 21 October 2026 · Sources: National Harvest Guide (Australian Government), Fair Work Ombudsman.

Key points

May–Oct

Peak season in Queensland: strawberries in Bundaberg and Caboolture, tomatoes in Bowen

Jan–Apr

Peak season in the south: fruit in Shepparton, grapes in Mildura, the Adelaide Hills and Stanthorpe

12 months

Bananas in Tully: the only town where the guide expects very high demand all year

32.18 $/h

Minimum casual farmhand pay since 1 July 2026, also guaranteed when you're paid per bin

The calendar

Each colour shows how many workers from outside the region farms need that month, according to the National Harvest Guide published by the Australian Government. The darker the box, the easier it is to get hired without contacts: during the peak, farms take almost everyone who turns up.

Dates move by a few weeks from one year to the next with the weather. Use the calendar to plan, then call the farm or a local labour hire company before you drive there.

Very high (1,000+ workers)High (200 to 1,000)Medium (50 to 200)

Town	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Bowen QLD tomatoes, vegetables, mangoes
Bundaberg QLD strawberries, vegetables, tomatoes, macadamias, mangoes
Caboolture QLD strawberries
Stanthorpe QLD strawberries, apples & pears, vegetables, stone fruit
Mundubbera QLD citrus, blueberries
Tully QLD bananas
Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba QLD bananas, avocados, mangoes
Darwin NT mangoes
Katherine NT mangoes, melons
Coffs Harbour NSW blueberries, other berries
Griffith NSW citrus, vegetables, cherries
Young · Orange NSW cherries, apples
Batlow NSW apples
Mildura · Robinvale VIC grapes, citrus
Shepparton VIC apples & pears, stone fruit
Adelaide Hills SA cherries, strawberries, apples & pears
Riverland SA citrus, stone fruit
Huon Valley TAS cherries, apples, other berries
Launceston · Tamar Valley TAS cherries, other berries, grapes
Margaret River WA grapes
Donnybrook · Manjimup WA stone fruit, apples & pears
Carnarvon WA vegetables, melons
Kununurra WA melons, mangoes

Where to go, month by month

For each month, the towns where farms need at least 200 workers from outside the region, with the crops concerned.

January

Very high demand: Bundaberg (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables, mangoes · Stanthorpe (QLD) – strawberries, apples & pears, vegetables · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Adelaide Hills (SA) – cherries, strawberries · Huon Valley (TAS) – cherries · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – cherries, other berries

High demand: Bowen (QLD) – mangoes · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, avocados, mangoes · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Young · Orange (NSW) – cherries · Donnybrook · Manjimup (WA) – stone fruit

February

Very high demand: Stanthorpe (QLD) – strawberries, apples & pears, vegetables · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – grapes · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Adelaide Hills (SA) – strawberries · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

High demand: Bundaberg (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables, macadamias, mangoes · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, avocados, mangoes · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Huon Valley (TAS) – cherries · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – other berries · Donnybrook · Manjimup (WA) – stone fruit

March

Very high demand: Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Stanthorpe (QLD) – strawberries, apples & pears, vegetables · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – grapes · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Adelaide Hills (SA) – strawberries · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

High demand: Bowen (QLD) – vegetables · Bundaberg (QLD) – vegetables, tomatoes, macadamias · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, avocados · Batlow (NSW) – apples · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – other berries

April

Very high demand: Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Stanthorpe (QLD) – strawberries, apples & pears, vegetables · Mundubbera (QLD) – citrus · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – grapes · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

High demand: Bundaberg (QLD) – vegetables, macadamias · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, avocados · Batlow (NSW) – apples · Adelaide Hills (SA) – strawberries, apples & pears · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – other berries

May

Very high demand: Bundaberg (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables, tomatoes, macadamias · Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Mundubbera (QLD) – citrus · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – grapes, citrus

High demand: Bowen (QLD) – tomatoes, vegetables · Stanthorpe (QLD) – apples & pears · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, avocados · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Adelaide Hills (SA) – apples & pears · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

June

Very high demand: Bundaberg (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables, tomatoes, macadamias · Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Mundubbera (QLD) – citrus, blueberries · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – grapes, citrus

High demand: Bowen (QLD) – tomatoes, vegetables · Stanthorpe (QLD) – apples & pears · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

July

Very high demand: Bowen (QLD) – tomatoes, vegetables · Bundaberg (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables, tomatoes, macadamias · Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Mundubbera (QLD) – citrus, blueberries · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – grapes, citrus

High demand: Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Riverland (SA) – citrus · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

August

High demand: Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Riverland (SA) – citrus · Margaret River (WA) – grapes

September

Very high demand: Bowen (QLD) – tomatoes, vegetables · Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Darwin (NT) – mangoes · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus

High demand: Bundaberg (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables, macadamias · Mundubbera (QLD) – blueberries · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas · Mildura · Robinvale (VIC) – citrus · Riverland (SA) – citrus

October

Very high demand: Bowen (QLD) – tomatoes, vegetables, mangoes · Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Darwin (NT) – mangoes

High demand: Stanthorpe (QLD) – vegetables · Mundubbera (QLD) – blueberries · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas · Katherine (NT) – mangoes · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries, other berries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Riverland (SA) – citrus · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – other berries

November

Very high demand: Caboolture (QLD) – strawberries · Stanthorpe (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Adelaide Hills (SA) – cherries, strawberries

High demand: Bowen (QLD) – tomatoes, vegetables, mangoes · Mundubbera (QLD) – blueberries · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, mangoes · Darwin (NT) – mangoes · Katherine (NT) – mangoes · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries, other berries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus, vegetables · Young · Orange (NSW) – cherries · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – other berries · Donnybrook · Manjimup (WA) – stone fruit

December

Very high demand: Stanthorpe (QLD) – strawberries, vegetables · Tully (QLD) – bananas · Adelaide Hills (SA) – cherries, strawberries

High demand: Bowen (QLD) – vegetables, mangoes · Bundaberg (QLD) – vegetables · Atherton Tablelands · Mareeba (QLD) – bananas, mangoes · Coffs Harbour (NSW) – blueberries, other berries · Griffith (NSW) – citrus, vegetables · Young · Orange (NSW) – cherries · Shepparton (VIC) – apples & pears, stone fruit · Huon Valley (TAS) – cherries · Launceston · Tamar Valley (TAS) – cherries, other berries · Donnybrook · Manjimup (WA) – stone fruit

How to use it

Arrive one to two weeks before the peak. The first workers get the jobs and the beds: in the middle of the season, hostels and caravan parks in harvest towns are often full.
Follow the seasons to work all year: Shepparton or Mildura from January to April, citrus in Mildura or Mundubbera from May to August, tomatoes in Bowen from July to October, then cherries in Young, the Adelaide Hills or Tasmania from November to January.
In winter (June to August), the south is quiet but Queensland is at its busiest. That's the best time to head north.
Have a car if you can. Farms are often 20 to 50 km from town, and many only hire workers who can get there on their own.

Does it count for your 88 days?

Picking and packing fruit and vegetables counts as specified work for a 2nd or 3rd Working Holiday visa, as long as the farm's postcode is on the Home Affairs list of eligible regional areas. Most harvest towns are on it, but check the exact postcode before you start: it's what the department looks at.

Since the announcement of 17 September 2026, the 88 days will give access to a ballot instead of a guaranteed 2nd year. As of October 2026, the ballot isn't in force yet: the current rules still apply.

Pay: piece rates have a minimum

Many farms pay per bin, per kilo or per bucket. Since 28 April 2022, the Horticulture Award guarantees that a pieceworker earns at least the minimum hourly rate for every hour worked that day, casual loading included. Since 1 July 2026, that's 32.18 $ an hour for a level 1 casual.

Beginners don't get a lower 'training' piece rate: they get the same rate as everyone else. A farm offering 'piece rate only, no minimum' is breaking the law. You can report it to the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94), and the department says that a worker who reports exploitation won't have their visa cancelled for it, provided certain criteria are met.

Avoid fake harvest jobs

Never pay to get a job. In Western Australia, for example, employment agents must be licensed and can't charge job seekers any fee.
Be wary of ads on Gumtree, Facebook or hostel noticeboards asking for an accommodation deposit before you've seen the farm. It's the most common scam reported by the WA authorities: no job, no bed, and the money's gone.
Ask for the company name, its ABN and its website, then check them. A real farm gives them without hesitation.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to start farm work in Australia?

It depends on where you are. In Queensland, farms need the most workers from May to October (strawberries, tomatoes). In the south (Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania), the peak is from January to April (fruit, grapes), plus cherries in November and December.

Where can I find farm work in winter?

Head north. From June to August, Bowen, Bundaberg and Caboolture are at their peak, citrus picking is in full swing in Mildura and Mundubbera, and Tully needs banana workers all year.

Where does this calendar come from?

From the charts of the National Harvest Guide, 18th edition (June 2023), published by the Australian Government. It's the last edition before the Harvest Trail service moved into Workforce Australia. Harvests move by a few weeks with the weather, so always check with the farm before travelling.

What do the colours mean?

The number of workers from outside the region the guide expects farms to need: medium means 51 to 200, high 201 to 1,000, very high more than 1,000. A white box doesn't mean there's no work at all, just that local workers are usually enough.