What's picking in May in Australia?
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Short answer
The southern harvest winds down and the northern dry-season work takes over: Bowen, Ayr, Bundaberg, Carnarvon and Kununurra. On Matey's harvest calendar, 18 of 28 tracked harvest towns are in season in May, including Bowen, Orange, Carnarvon, Huonville, and Darwin & Rural Area.
By state in May
Queensland
39 farms on Matey harvesting: bananas, strawberries, avocados, capsicum, broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, onions.
New South Wales
11 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, cherries, oranges, mandarins, cotton, citrus, lemons, onions.
Victoria
14 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, citrus, lettuce, nectarines, olives, broccoli, cauliflower, oranges.
Western Australia
11 farms on Matey harvesting: apples, bananas, mangoes, pumpkins, citrus, avocados, tomatoes, melons.
South Australia
10 farms on Matey harvesting: citrus, potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, capsicum, cucumbers, table grapes.
Tasmania
8 farms on Matey harvesting: raspberries, apples, strawberries, blackberries, salad greens, organic apples, carrots, onions.
Northern Territory
4 farms on Matey harvesting: melons, pearling (deckhands, pearl-farm crew), mangoes, peanuts, 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 May?
The southern harvest winds down and the northern dry-season work takes over: Bowen, Ayr, Bundaberg, Carnarvon and Kununurra. Towns in season include Bowen, Orange, Carnarvon, Huonville, and Darwin & Rural Area.
Does May 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