What's picking in January in Australia?
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Short answer
Peak summer. Cherries finish in the south, stone fruit and grapes ramp up, Tasmania and Victoria are busiest, and the tropics are in the wet with fewer jobs. On Matey's harvest calendar, 18 of 28 tracked harvest towns are in season in January, including Mareeba, Young, Shepparton, McLaren Vale, and Huonville.
By state in January
Queensland
19 farms on Matey harvesting: bananas, avocados, mangoes, papaya, apples, chillies, coffee, strawberry runners.
New South Wales
10 farms on Matey harvesting: cherries, stone fruit, blueberries, apples, grain harvest (grain handler, sample stand, weighbridge), raspberries.
Victoria
21 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, table grapes, pears, cherries, nectarines, citrus, stone fruit, peaches.
Western Australia
8 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, avocados, potatoes, bananas, nectarines, pears, carrots, onions.
South Australia
8 farms on Matey harvesting: cherries, potatoes, carrots, onions, wine grapes, citrus, almonds, apples.
Tasmania
13 farms on Matey harvesting: cherries, raspberries, apples, blackberries, carrots, onions, strawberries, berries.
Northern Territory
3 farms on Matey harvesting: table grapes, melons, 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 January?
Peak summer. Cherries finish in the south, stone fruit and grapes ramp up, Tasmania and Victoria are busiest, and the tropics are in the wet with fewer jobs. Towns in season include Mareeba, Young, Shepparton, McLaren Vale, and Huonville.
Does January 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