Cherry picking is between seasons across most of Australia in September. We list 69 pick-your-own cherry farms nationally — see the season table below for when picking reopens in your state.
Cherry picking is a short, sharp summer season across Australia, generally running from November to February and peaking in December. The earliest orchards open from mid-to-late November in districts like Young and Yass in NSW, the Perth Hills in WA, and parts of the Adelaide Hills. Most regions hit their stride through December, including Orange and the Riverina in NSW, the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and Queensland's Granite Belt, which has a short, Christmas-timed window that can sell out well before New Year. Tasmania and the Riverina tend to run a little later, sometimes into late January or February. Picking is usually all-you-can-eat in the orchard, with fruit to take home charged by weight. Expect entry fees of roughly $5 to $25 depending on the farm, and take-home cherries priced from around $8 to $22 a kilogram, with prices firming as each region's crop nears its end.
Cherry season in Australia runs from mid-November through to February, with December the peak almost everywhere. Warmer inland pockets such as Young in New South Wales and the Perth Hills in Western Australia tend to start earliest, from late November, while cooler, higher-elevation districts — the Adelaide Hills, the Dandenong Ranges and Tasmania among them — often run latest, sometimes into late January. Queensland's Granite Belt around Stanthorpe has the shortest window of any cherry-growing region in the country, usually finished before the new year. Because a hot spell can bring an entire district's crop forward by a week or more, treat the table above as a guide to typical timing rather than a fixed calendar, and check with the farm directly for what's ripe this week.
| Variety | Typical ripening | Flavour and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ron's Seedling | Early season | One of the first commercial varieties to colour up each year; dark red, firm and sweet |
| Merchant | Early to mid-season | Large, dark, glossy fruit with a rich flavour; a mainstay of many orchards' early picking |
| Lapins | Mid-season | Big, firm, deep-red cherries — one of the most widely planted varieties in Australia and a reliable heavy cropper |
| Stella | Mid-season | Heart-shaped and dark red; self-fertile, so it's often planted as a pollinator alongside other varieties |
| Sweetheart | Late season | Bright red, firm and notably sweet; one of the last major varieties to finish, helping stretch the season into its final weeks |
Ripening order shifts a little from orchard to orchard depending on climate and rootstock, and not every farm grows every variety, so what's ready to pick on any given day depends on which trees a particular orchard has planted. If a specific variety matters to you, ask the farm what's currently ripe when you call ahead to check picking status.
Queensland's only cherry-growing area is the Granite Belt around Stanthorpe, where a handful of orchards run a short, Christmas-timed season that often sells out before New Year — but we don't have a verified pick-your-own listing in the region, so check with local Granite Belt orchards directly if you're planning a visit.
There's no pick-your-own cherry orchard within the ACT itself, but two options sit just over the New South Wales border: Wallaroo Cherry Farm is about 15 minutes from the Canberra CBD, and Kembla Cherry Orchard at Royalla is roughly 20 minutes south via the Monaro Highway. Both are included in our New South Wales cherry picking listings — call ahead to confirm they're open, since picking days can change year to year.
Tasmania's cool climate pushes cherry season later than the mainland, typically running from December into January and sometimes February as the crop ripens slowly in the cooler air. Sorell Fruit Farm, just outside Hobart, is the state's best-known pick-your-own cherry destination — cherries are priced by weight on site, and the farm also runs a restaurant and gift shop. See our full Tasmania cherry picking listings, or browse what else is in season on the Tasmania pick-your-own page.
Swipe to see all months. Peak and available windows are typical only and shift with the weather.
| State | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Available | Available | Peak | |||||||||
| Victoria | Available | Available | Available | Peak | ||||||||
| Queensland | Available | Peak | ||||||||||
| South Australia | Peak | Available | Peak | |||||||||
| Western Australia | Available | Peak | ||||||||||
| Tasmania | Peak | Peak | Peak | |||||||||
| Australian Capital Territory | Peak | Available | Peak | Peak |
Wombat · Hilltops
Young · Hilltops
Bilpin · Bilpin & the Hawkesbury
Canobolas · Orange & Central West
Avonsleigh · Dandenong Ranges
Buninyong · Grampians & Ballarat
Coldstream · Yarra Valley
Silvan · Dandenong Ranges
Birdwood · Adelaide Hills
Lenswood · Adelaide Hills
Charleston · Adelaide Hills
Balhannah · Adelaide Hills
Carmel · Perth Hills
Pickering Brook · Perth Hills
Karragullen · Perth Hills
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Mount Direction · Tamar Valley & Launceston
Sorell (Tasman Peninsula gateway) · Hobart & the Huon Valley
Dilston · Tamar Valley & Launceston
Glaziers Bay · Hobart & the Huon Valley
Ripe cherries are deep red to almost black (depending on variety) and firm, with the stem still green and pliable. Pick with the stem attached rather than pulling the fruit off — cherries without stems spoil faster and bruise more easily. Keep picked cherries out of the sun and eat or refrigerate them the same day if you can; unwashed, they'll keep in the fridge for about a week, and only wash just before eating.
Read our full How to pick cherries: a complete Australian guide
Choose a crop and location. We will email you when local farms begin opening.
Cherry picking generally runs from mid-November to February, with December the peak month almost everywhere. Warmer inland districts like Young in NSW and the Perth Hills in WA start earliest, from late November, while the Riverina and Tasmania can run into late January or February. Queensland's Granite Belt has the shortest window, often finished by early January. Always confirm dates with the orchard, as a hot spell can end the season early.
Entry typically ranges from about $5 to $25 per adult, often covering all-you-can-eat picking in the orchard, with children usually cheaper or free under a certain age. Cherries to take home are then charged by weight, commonly $8 to $22 a kilogram depending on the region and how far into the season you visit. Some farms charge per kilogram picked with no separate entry fee.
There are a couple of small cherry orchards in the Hawkesbury/Bilpin district, about 60 to 90 minutes from the CBD, though NSW's main cherry country is Orange and the Central West, roughly a three to three-and-a-half hour drive, and Young further south-west. Many Sydneysiders treat cherry picking as a weekend trip rather than a day trip. Book ahead, as cherry season is short.
Yes, and it's one of the best-served crops close to the city. The Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley, both under an hour and a half from the Melbourne CBD, have multiple cherry orchards typically picking from November into January. The Mornington Peninsula also has cherry picking over a similar window. Book ahead, since cherry season sells out fast in a good year.
It varies by orchard, but booking is common because cherry season is short and popular weekends fill quickly. Some farms take walk-ins on weekdays but require bookings for weekends, while others run entirely on online booking systems. Call or check the farm's website before you drive out, especially in the first two or three weeks of the season when demand is highest.
For New South Wales specifically, the Orange district and the Young area — both three to four hours from Sydney — are the state's established cherry country and the best search if you're looking for cherries in NSW. Victoria's Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges are the easiest for a city day trip, under an hour and a half from Melbourne, and South Australia's Adelaide Hills plays the same role for Adelaide. All three cluster several orchards close together, so there's usually a second farm nearby if the first is fully booked.
Yes, in cool-climate gardens with enough winter chill, though most varieties need a second tree nearby for pollination and take three or four years to fruit well. Low-chill varieties suit warmer coastal gardens better than standard cherries.
