What's picking in February in Australia?
Last checked
Short answer
Vintage starts in South Australia and Victoria, apples begin in the Huon Valley, Batlow and Stanthorpe, and stone fruit keeps Shepparton and Young busy. On Matey's harvest calendar, 21 of 28 tracked harvest towns are in season in February, including Mareeba, Orange, Shepparton, Manjimup, and McLaren Vale.
By state in February
Queensland
22 farms on Matey harvesting: bananas, avocados, mangoes, apples, coffee, papaya, strawberries, chillies.
New South Wales
16 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, cherries, wine grapes, stone fruit, peaches, nectarines, plums, citrus.
Victoria
23 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, table grapes, pears, nectarines, citrus, almonds, stone fruit, cherries.
Western Australia
10 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, bananas, potatoes, wine grapes, mangoes, tomatoes, nectarines, pears.
South Australia
12 farms on Matey harvesting: wine grapes, almonds, cherries, apples, potatoes, carrots, onions, citrus.
Tasmania
14 farms on Matey harvesting: cherries, apples, raspberries, blackberries, carrots, onions, strawberries, berries.
Northern Territory
2 farms on Matey harvesting: watermelons, pumpkins, aquaculture (barramundi farm hands, harvest, processing).
Seasons move with the weather by a few weeks either way, so arrive a little before the peak and line up the next job while you are still on the current one. Every town page has live jobs and the local farms, with backpacker reviews as they come in. For which towns count toward the second year, see does my town count.
Other months
Common follow-up questions
Where is the best farm work in February?
Vintage starts in South Australia and Victoria, apples begin in the Huon Valley, Batlow and Stanthorpe, and stone fruit keeps Shepparton and Young busy. Towns in season include Mareeba, Orange, Shepparton, Manjimup, and McLaren Vale.
Does February farm work count for the 88 days?
Yes, if it is plant and animal cultivation in an eligible regional postcode and paid at award rates, with payslips. The month does not matter; the work type, the postcode and the pay do.
Sources
- Home Affairs: specified work for the Working Holiday visa (417)
- Fair Work: Horticulture Award summary (MA000028)
General information, not migration or legal advice. Rules and pay rates change, so confirm anything your visa depends on with the official source.
More quick answers
Count your days as you go
Matey's free 88-day tracker logs each day with the farm and postcode, and keeps your payslips in one place for the visa application.
Open the 88-day tracker