Magazine
How to get a picking day right, season by season and state by state, plus recipes for what you bring home.
Practical guide When is cherry picking season in Australia? Cherry picking runs November to January across Australia, earlier in Queensland and later in Tasmania. Where to go, when each district opens, and why you should book.
Practical guide Strawberry picking season in Australia, state by state Strawberry picking runs September to December in the southern states, but June to October in Queensland. When each state opens, and why the Queensland season is the other way round.
Practical guide Apple picking season in Australia: February to May Australian apple picking runs through autumn, February to May. Bilpin, Stanthorpe and the Adelaide Hills, what ripens when, and how to pick an apple without damaging the tree.
Practical guide What to take pick your own farming, and what to expect What to bring to an Australian pick-your-own farm, how payment usually works, whether to book, and the etiquette that keeps farms opening their gates.
Practical guide Pick your own with kids: which crops actually work Strawberries and pumpkins work with small children, cherries and apples less so. How to plan a picking day that does not end in tears, and what farms expect of you.
Practical guide How much does pick your own cost in Australia? The three pricing models Australian pick-your-own farms use, roughly what each crop costs, and why an entry fee is usually a good sign rather than a bad one.
Practical guide Cut your own Christmas tree in Australia Choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms open from late November to about 20 December. What species Australia grows, when to go, and how to keep a tree alive through a hot summer.
Practical guide Sunflower and flower picking farms in Australia Pick-your-own flower fields and sunflower farms run on announced days and timed sessions rather than a fixed season. How they work, what to bring, and how to make cut flowers last.
Practical guide Citrus picking in Australia: navels in winter, Valencias in summer Australian orange picking splits into two seasons: navels from June to September and Valencias from October into autumn. Why the answer to "when is citrus season" is always both.
Practical guide Blueberry picking season in Australia Blueberries are the longest self-pick berry season in Australia, running from spring in the north to autumn in the cool hills. Where to go, when, and how to pick a berry that is actually ripe.
Practical guide Raspberry and blackberry picking in Australia Cane berries need cool nights, so they cluster in the Victorian hills and Tasmania. When they run, how to pick fruit that will survive the drive, and how the two crops differ.
Practical guide Peaches, nectarines and apricots: stone fruit picking in Australia Apricots come first, then peaches and nectarines through summer. Where the self-pick stone fruit orchards are, how to tell ripe from merely coloured, and why this fruit will not wait.
Practical guide Truffle hunting in Australia: June to August Australian truffle hunts run through winter, June to August, with a trained dog. How a hunt works, what it costs, and why the southern season is why the world buys Australian truffles.
Practical guide Pick your own flowers in Australia Beyond sunflowers there are tulip, dahlia, lavender and mixed cutting fields open to visitors. Where they are, when they open, and how to cut flowers that last in the vase.
Practical guide Pick your own in the Adelaide Hills The Adelaide Hills hold more self-pick farms than any other district in Australia, and cherries are the reason. What grows there, when, and how to plan a day that is not just one orchard.
Practical guide Pick your own in the Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges Melbourne has two self-pick districts within an hour, and between them they carry more berry farms than anywhere else in Australia. What is open when, and which one to choose.
Practical guide Pick your own around Perth: the Swan Valley and the Perth Hills The Swan Valley is twenty minutes from central Perth and picks from spring to autumn. What grows there, what the hills add, and how to handle the heat.
Practical guide Pick your own near Sydney: the Hawkesbury, Bilpin and the Central Coast Sydney has three self-pick districts within two hours. Bilpin for apples and stone fruit, the Hawkesbury and Sydney Basin for a bit of everything, the Central Coast for berries and citrus.
Practical guide Pick your own around Brisbane and south-east Queensland Queensland picks when the south does not. Strawberries through winter, sunflowers in the warm months, and why the season here runs upside down compared with Victoria.
Practical guide Pick your own in Tasmania Tasmania picks last. The Huon Valley, the Tamar and the north-west run weeks behind the mainland, which makes the island the place to go when everywhere else has finished.
Practical guide Pick your own in Orange and the Hilltops Central west New South Wales is cherry and apple country, high enough for cold winters and a proper autumn. When each crop runs and how to plan a weekend around it.
Practical guide What can I pick right now? An Australian season calendar A month-by-month guide to what is ripe somewhere in Australia, from winter citrus and Queensland strawberries to summer cherries and autumn apples.
Practical guide Heat, sun and picking fruit in an Australian summer Rows have no shade and a parked car cooks fruit in minutes. How to time a summer visit, what to take, and how to get what you picked home in one piece.
Practical guide How to tell when fruit is actually ripe Colour is the least reliable test. What to look for, feel and smell for each crop, and which fruits will never improve after you pick them.
Practical guide Pick your own etiquette: what farms actually ask What growers wish visitors knew, from where to walk and what damages next year, to dogs, prams, eating as you pick and paying for what you take.
Recipes and other articles
Preserving and jam Storing and freezing what you picked How to get a boot full of fruit home in an Australian summer and keep it: what to refrigerate, what not to wash, and how to freeze berries so they do not turn to mush.
Baking Cherries four ways: what to do with a Christmas glut Four things to make when you have picked more cherries than you can eat: a clafoutis, a simple jam, cherries in syrup for winter, and a tray of frozen cherries done properly.
Preserving and jam Strawberry jam, cordial and freezing: what to do with the punnets Strawberries do not keep. A reliable jam without commercial pectin, a cordial that uses the soft ones, and the freezing method that does not turn them to mush.
Baking Blueberries four ways A muffin that is actually full of fruit, a quick compote, blueberry and lemon cordial, and the right way to freeze them so they stay separate.
Preserving and jam Apple sauce, apple butter and how to store an autumn pick Apples are the one self-pick crop that keeps for months if you store them properly. How to do that, plus a plain sauce and a slow apple butter for the ones that will not keep.