Fruit picking jobs in Australia – What, where, how (and why!)

Best hiring periods

There’s work year-round in the agriculture sector but summer is the prime hiring period.

Note that for some fruit picking jobs, one drop of rain means the end of the workday. Keep Australia’s climate zones in mind if you’re almost broke, desperate for work and want to avoid being laid off for operational reasons (i.e. heavy rain!).

The northern section of Australia has a more tropically influenced climate: hot and humid in the summer, warm and dry in the winter. Most rain falls on the northeastern coast, with an annual average of 100 inches or more. Tropical cyclones can occur between November and April, causing heavy wind and rainstorms. The southern parts of Australia are cooler with mild summers and cold, sometimes rainy winters.

• New South Wales: work available year-round, with summer as the prime hiring season.
• Queensland: work available year-round.
• Victoria: mostly from November to April.
• Tasmania: mostly from November to April, but there’s also demand for winter work (especially pruning grapes).
• South Australia: the prime hiring season is from October/November and there’s usually work until winter (July/August).
• Western Australia: since it’s not a rainy state, work is usually available year-round.
• Northern Territory: avoid looking for a job between November and March because it can rain up to 20 days/month. Depending on the year, there can be work from April to December—but check before you go!

Read the rest of this guide for more details on opportunities per month and per region.

Job hunting methods

To job hunt effectively, you will probably have to combine several approaches. Let’s review them:

Walk in and ask

Ever heard of “cold calling”? Most fruit picking vacancies don’t appear in print or online, so it makes sense to contact prospective employers directly to explore opportunities. In the agricultural sector, it means going from farm to farm in person and introducing yourself. Make sure to look enthusiastic and confident—it helps if you prepare your “elevator pitch” ahead of time.

Note that many farms are in remote areas, so it helps if you have your own vehicle or if you travel with other job seekers.

Smaller farms may not need tons of casual employees, so you may be the only backpacker around. It could be a great way to discover another side of Australia, but be prepared for quieter evenings than if you were on a busy farm with dozens of other backpackers.

Local newspapers and bulletin boards

Read the local paper (often available in libraries!) or keep an eye on supermarket bulletin boards when you go grocery shopping.

You may also notice billboards right outside farms. Typical keywords include “help wanted,” “now hiring,” “seeking local workers,” etc.

There’s always less competition for the job when the advert isn’t published online, so you may have a better chance of securing work from paper-based ads!

Calling or emailing farms

If you’re heading to a specific area and you know it’s harvest time, make a list of the local farms and contact each one by email or by phone.

Spend some time polishing your script or email template beforehand for more efficient job searching.

Networking and word-of-mouth recommendations

Go out and meet new people; locals and backpackers alike! Networking leads to information, i.e. who is hiring right now and where to go for the best job prospects. You will also get first-hand tips before you start working.

Hostels and campsites are good places to meet other backpackers. To meet Australians in small communities, shop locally and learn to master the fine art of small talk. Make the first move, be friendly and outgoing and soon you will know who is hiring!

Using a farm job website

The online world is still a useful tool for finding fruit picking and farm work. Check out the following websites:

• Workforce Australia: Workforce Australia is a Government of Australia website that connects job seekers with employers. You can search by types of vacancy (e.g. farm or harvest jobs) and location and click on “Search” to see available positions. Note that it’s best to do some prep work and know the harvest periods to increase the chances of finding farm work advertised.
• Gumtree: The popular online classified advertisement and community website has a job section (go to “Farming and Veterinary”). Unfortunately, pretty much everyone keeps an eye on Gumtree, so expect a lot of competition.
• Backpacker Job Board has a “Fruit picking” section. You need to register (it’s free) to apply. You can also filter by jobs that count as specified work for visa extension.
• Facebook groups: There are numerous backpacker groups. Enter search terms like “backpacker + [name of the region where you want to find a job]” and you should find your new community. Some large farms also have their own Facebook groups to advertise fruit picking vacancies.
• Membership-based job communities: Many websites offer to connect pickers and farmers for a fee. Look for them on Google if you’re interested.

Remember to be wary of scams. There are plenty of fake job ads online, especially on free websites like Gumtree. The most common scams include demanding upfront fees for “guaranteed” work and accommodation or “free” accommodation. Most of the time, jobs and employers simply don’t exist and you’ll never see your “deposit” back.

Staying in a “working hostel”

In Australia (and New Zealand), some hostels run job-finding services for backpackers on a WHV. These places typically offer the chance to live with like-minded travellers (i.e. people who have to get up in the morning to go to work and won’t party all night in the dorm…), weekly rates and maybe a carpooling service to get to the work site.

Working hostels usually collaborate with local employers by putting them in contact with potential employees (i.e. backpackers like you). Sometimes, local employers only hire through a working hostel, so you can’t even get a job through other methods.

Staying in a working hostel comes with a few caveats:

• You may have to commit to stay and work for a few weeks.
• You won’t get to choose your employer or your job; you’ll be assigned both by the working hostel.
• Working hostels can’t guarantee you a job—supply and demand apply and they work on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Work is never guaranteed, especially if your job is weather dependent. You could be stuck in a working hostel for a few days without pay if it’s raining constantly.

A number of backpackers report that working hostels tend to overestimate the number of casual employees needed, especially in Bundaberg and Mildura. Check forums and talk to other backpackers to see which working hostels are genuinely well run. Also, read Hostels and “working hostels” to find out more.

Using a labour hire provider

Labour hire providers, including recruitment agencies and employment services, can find you farm work for a few days, weeks or months. Google agricultural recruitment agencies to find which ones operate in the region/s you want to find work in.

Using a labour hire contractor

In Australia, anyone can get an Australian Business Number (ABN), start a company and provide a client with seasonal workers for fruit picking, pruning, planting, etc. work. This is what a labour hire contractor does—they are middlemen supplying employees to farmers, plus dealing with human resources obligations. These contractors are usually found in regions without designated labour hire providers.

Labour hire contractors operate freely—some respect labour standards while others create their own… This style of operating is rarely in favour of backpackers. If you want to sign a labour hire contractor contact, do a thorough background search using the phone number and names of the business owners in order to gather feedback and honest reviews.

In South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, labour hire contractors must be licensed to operate legally in the state. As part of the process, a background check (e.g. a “fit and proper person assessment” in Victoria) is performed to make sure the contractor has never been found to have contravened a workplace law, labour hire industry law, minimum accommodation standard, etc. This requirement should help make sure contractors comply with taxation laws, superannuation laws, occupational health and safety laws, worker’s compensation laws, etc.

Required skills

The bar is pretty low—usually, willingness to perform the tasks without complaining and a minimum level of physical fitness are enough. Don’t worry if you’re not fluent (yet!) in English or if you don’t have previous farm work experience. As long as you’re willing to learn and work hard, you’ll be fine.

If you have a hard time understanding instructions at first—the vocabulary can be new and technical—, try to find a work buddy who speaks the same language as you and can show you the ropes.

Is finding farm work difficult?

A few years (or decades) ago, there were more apples in trees than backpackers willing to pick them. Nowadays, expect competition, especially for more desirable jobs, regions and crops. Australia is a popular WHV destination and many backpackers turn to fruit picking as a way of securing specified work to qualify for Second and Third WHV applications.

Should I move for a job opportunity?

You came to Australia to explore the country, but should you move for a job? The typical scenario goes like this—you see an ad or receive a tip about a great opportunity in [insert random town you’ve never heard about]. You Google the place and realise it’s halfway across the country. Do you take a chance (and the next overnight bus!) to find out if there are genuine work opportunities there?

Australia is a big country, so you must get used to travelling long distances. It may come as a shock if you’re from Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc. but a ten-hour drive is a short drive by local standards.

That said, before travelling to another state or region, make sure there are going to be work opportunities for you. For instance, don’t trust working hostel ads—they tend to overestimate the number of workers required and there may not be a job waiting for you when you arrive. Review the harvest season to check if fruit harvesting is actually in season before travelling to a particular region. Try to find other farms and contacts nearby in case plan A doesn’t work out.

Travelling across the country may be worth it as long as you do some prep work and have a plan B (… and a plan C). Don’t just trust one business, hostel or contact who promises a job.