When is cherry picking season in Australia?
Australian cherry picking runs from about November to early January, with the peak either side of Christmas. It is the shortest and busiest self-pick season of the year: a cherry orchard is often open for six to eight weeks, and a hot week or a wet week can move that by a fortnight in either direction.
The season moves south as summer goes on. In a normal year the first orchards open in mid to late November in the warmer districts, most of the country is picking through December, and the last fruit comes off in Tasmania and the high country in January.
Where cherry picking happens
Victoria has the most pick-your-own cherry orchards in the country, and the two names people search for are Bacchus Marsh, an hour west of Melbourne, and the Yarra Valley around Silvan, Wandin and Coldstream to the east. The Mornington Peninsula and Red Hill add a handful more within reach of the city.
South Australia concentrates in the Adelaide Hills: Lenswood, Forest Range, Birdwood, Charleston and Balhannah are all within about an hour of the city, and several orchards there open only for a few announced weeks.
New South Wales has its cherry country around Young and Wombat in the Hilltops, which calls itself the cherry capital of Australia, plus orchards around Orange and Nashdale in the central west.
Tasmania runs latest of all, into January, around the Huon Valley, Richmond and the Tamar.
Why you should ring first, every time
Cherries are the crop most likely to catch you out. They split in rain, they finish quickly in a hot spell, and a busy weekend can strip an orchard by Sunday afternoon. Most orchards post their daily state of play on their own Facebook page, and many now sell timed tickets rather than letting people walk in.
Expect to pay either by the kilo or a per-person entry fee, sometimes with all you can eat while you are in the rows. Both models are normal and neither is a rip-off: an entry fee usually reflects an orchard that limits numbers to protect the trees.
What to take
Closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen, because December in an orchard is hot and shadeless work. Cash, since a surprising number of farms still do not take cards. Your own container is worth asking about, as some orchards supply buckets and others charge for them.
Pick with the stalk on if you plan to keep the fruit for more than a day or two: cherries picked without the stem bruise and spoil far faster.
Find an orchard near you on the map, or see cherry picking farms across Australia with their season dates.
Updated 27 August 2026