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Pick Your Own Farms

Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm

Pick your own strawberries and blueberries in Mount Charlton, QLD · plus farm experiences

In season Pick-your-own & farm experiences
Last verified 18 Jul 2026 Farm details can change. Check before travelling.
Mackay & Whitsundays
Call farmGet directions

Long-running family-run pick-your-own farm behind Calen/Camerons Pocket in the foothills of Eungella National Park, about 55 min (~68km) north of Mackay. Confirmed PYO strawberries (roughly July-Sept) and PYO blueberries (Oct-Jan), plus an on-site cafe (scones, crepes, milkshakes, ice cream) and shop selling jam/relish/chutney made from surplus fruit. Founded by Alan and Margaret Ballantyne, who ran it from the mid-1980s (switching to strawberries in 1995) until selling the property to Tim and Rose Molloy (a Pleystowe couple) at the end of February 2024; North Queensland Register (2 May 2024, paywalled beyond intro) confirms the Molloys were replanting strawberries for the upcoming season under the same Ballantyne's name, with the Ballantynes staying on to train them. The attached campsite (bookable via Hipcamp, hosted by 'Tim N Rose B') has reviews running through June/July 2026 that describe current pick-your-own strawberry picking and name the new owners directly, and the farm hosted a 'Strawberry Sound Fest' music event on-site in September 2025 - both strong, recent signs it is still trading as a PYO operation. Caveat: an unclaimed TripAdvisor listing carries a crowd-sourced 'reported permanently closed' flag that conflicts with this more recent, more specific evidence; given the weight of the Hipcamp/festival evidence I treat that TripAdvisor flag as a stale or mistaken crowd-tag rather than reliable, but a site editor may want to phone ahead before publishing given the recent change of hands. Pricing and exact opening days found in sources mostly predate the 2024 ownership change and should be reconfirmed directly. Phone number is sourced from an unofficial Facebook aggregator listing and is unverified against the new owners. No confirmed official website was found; an Instagram handle (@ballantynesstrawberries) and a Facebook page reported to have ~18,500 followers exist but multiple duplicate 'Unofficial Page' Facebook listings made it impossible to confidently identify the canonical current page/URL in this pass, so facebook_url is left null rather than guessed. Not a duplicate of any existing listing - no other Mackay/Whitsundays-area farm is in the current directory, and this is genuinely new geography (no existing region fits).

What you can pick and when

Swipe to see all months. Windows are typical for this state — call ahead to confirm what's ripe.

Typical picking months at this farm
Crop Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Strawberries Peak Peak Available Available Available Available Peak Peak Peak Available Available Peak
Blueberries Available Peak Available

Farm experiences

Beyond picking, Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm offers hands-on farm experiences. Each runs on its own schedule and availability can change, so check with the farm before you travel.

Stay on the farm

Availability unconfirmed

A bookable campsite operates beside the working berry farm. The operator-controlled listing describes creek swimming, fishing and campfires, with seasonal strawberry or blueberry picking available for an extra charge.

Access
For staying guests — Offered to guests booked on the farm stay.
Booking
Booking required through Hipcamp
Price
Varies by date and party size; picking is extra
When
Bookable stays; berry picking is seasonal

Confirmed from the farm's own website on 19 Jul 2026. Availability, times and prices can change, so check with the farm before you travel. Source: hipcamp.com, northqueenslandregister.com.au.

Getting there

36 Brodies Road, Mount Charlton QLD 4741 (also referred to as Camerons Pocket, via Calen). From Brisbane, this farm is around Mackay and the Whitsundays on the Central Queensland coast.

We don't have exact coordinates for this farm yet. Use the address above to find directions, or open in Google Maps.

Before you go

Bring a hat, closed shoes, water and cash or a card for what you pick. Rows can be uneven underfoot, so a pram may be harder going in wet weather. This farm is listed as suitable for children.

Check before you drive

Seasons shift with the weather. Always call the farm to confirm what's ripe and that they're open before you drive out.

Nearby farms in Mackay & Whitsundays

In season Last verified 18 Jul 2026

Brightly Sunflowers

North Eton · Mackay & Whitsundays

Season
Spring (planted June/July, flowering and events held around October each year)
Price
$2.00 per stem, paid on exit; separate ticketed entry fee applies per event (booked via EventBookings) on top of the per-stem picking cost. Visitors bring their own scissors/secateurs and a bucket or basket.
Open
Not open year-round or for casual drop-in visits -- operates as a handful of ticketed seasonal events (e.g. 'Pick Your Own' no-frills sessions, 'Sunflower Family Day', 'Sunflower Market Day') held over one or two spring weekends (historically around October), booked via EventBookings.
Booking
Booking required
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Directions

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Before you visit

Practical reading for the trip out to Mount Charlton.

Last verified 18 Jul 2026. We check listings against farms' own sources and re-verify regularly. How we verify Report a change

Sources: northqueenslandregister.com.au, localsearch.com.au, gadsventure.com, hipcamp.com, theabj.com.au, tripadvisor.com.au. Is this your farm? Tell us what's changed.

Frequently asked questions

How much does picking cost at Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm?

On price, the details we hold for Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm read: Historical (pre-2024 ownership change) reports: ~$5/person entry plus punnet fill fee, roughly $10 for a large/500g punnet and $5 for each additional punnet. Not reconfirmed under the current owners - contact the farm directly for current prices. Rates move as a crop comes in and out, and published prices lag — check the current figure before you go.

What can you pick at Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm, and when?

Strawberries and blueberries is what Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm is listed for, with a usual window of Roughly July to September (a few sources say June-September), tied to school holidays; exact opening date each year depends on plant growth - recommended to call ahead; October to January. Fruit doesn't read a calendar — a cold snap or an early warm spell moves this, so confirm what's ripe close to the day.

What facilities does Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm have?

The facilities we have confirmed at Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm are toilets on site and a cafe or farm shop. This covers what the farm has confirmed to us; it isn't an exhaustive list, so ask about parking, shade and card payments if they matter to your visit.

Is Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm good to visit with young kids?

Yes — Ballantyne's Strawberry Farm at Mount Charlton is recorded as suitable for children. It also has toilets on site and a cafe or farm shop, which helps on a longer visit. Ground conditions and picking heights vary a lot between farms, so check what's manageable for your kids' ages before you set out.