Apple picking in Australia: the complete guide

When is apple season in Australia?

Apples are an autumn crop through most of the country, which sets them apart from the summer berries most people think of first. Across the cool-climate belts that ring Australia — inland from Sydney around Bilpin, the Adelaide Hills, southern Queensland's Granite Belt and Tasmania's river valleys — pick-your-own orchards typically open in February and run through to April or May as different varieties reach the tree in sequence. The Perth Hills district runs later than anywhere else in the country, with some orchards continuing into June and even July, so if you're reading this in the depths of winter, that's genuinely your best shot at a mainland apple-picking day out. Everywhere else on this list, apple season has usually wrapped up for the year by the time winter arrives, and the next window opens again in February.

Apple picking season by region

Exact dates shift with the weather every year, and individual orchards within the same district often open and close a few weeks apart. Use this as a normal-year guide, not a fixed calendar.

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

Bilpin, NSW — the classic apple-picking day trip

Bilpin, in the hills northwest of Sydney on the road up to the Blue Mountains, is the district most Sydneysiders picture when they think of apple picking. It's been growing apples commercially for over a century, and the district's run of roadside orchards means you can often visit two or three in a single trip. Shields Orchard has free entry and charges purely by the kilogram for whatever you pick, and generally recommends booking ahead on busy weekends. Bilpin Botanic Orchard also takes bookings, while Pine Crest Orchard has no entrance fee and simply charges for what leaves the orchard in your bag, and is a solid choice if you'd rather turn up without a booking. Bilpin's season typically runs February through May, with some orchards continuing into June depending on which varieties they grow.

Granite Belt, QLD — Australia's coolest apple country

The Granite Belt around Stanthorpe and Applethorpe is Queensland's only commercial apple-growing district, sitting high enough on the tablelands to get the cold nights apples need, in a state better known for its tropical fruit. Nicoletti Orchards at Pozieres runs one of the longest pick-your-own windows in the country, from February through to June, working through varieties from Royal Gala early on to Sundowner and Fuji later in the season; booking ahead is required and both cash and EFTPOS are accepted on site. Further along at Applethorpe, Eastern Colour runs a narrower May-to-June apple season alongside its winter strawberries, with a car-entry fee of around $5 on top of the fruit itself. If you're planning a Granite Belt trip, our cherry picking guide covers the same district's earlier stone-fruit season.

Adelaide Hills, SA — Lenswood's apple belt

The Adelaide Hills, and the Lenswood district in particular, has been South Australia's apple heartland for generations, growing eight or more varieties — Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Rosy Glow and Sundowner among them — that ripen in sequence from late February through to May or early June. @Lenswood Pick Your Own charges per kilogram picked and doesn't require a booking, making it an easy add-on to a Hills day out that might also include the district's famous strawberry farms. Nearby, Harrisville Orchards is another long-running Lenswood orchard worth checking for current picking dates before you visit.

Huon Valley, TAS — apple heartland, still being verified

Tasmania earned the nickname "Apple Isle" for a reason, and the Huon Valley south of Hobart is the traditional centre of that industry, with the state's on-tree pick-your-own window typically running February to May, peaking March to April, in line with other cool-climate districts on the mainland. We're still verifying which Huon Valley orchards currently run public pick-your-own access, so rather than name specific farms here, we'd point you to the region page above for what we've confirmed so far, and to our editorial policy for how we check and update farm listings. If you know a Huon Valley orchard that should be listed, let us know.

Other apple regions worth the drive

Beyond the four headline districts, apple orchards taking pick-your-own visitors are spread across almost every state. In Victoria, the Dandenong Ranges/Yarra Valley district includes Sanders Apples at Three Bridges, a ticketed picking experience with dates released each January, while further east in Gippsland, Sherwood Park Orchard at Bunyip charges $4 a kilogram (dropping to $3/kg over 10kg) through a season that runs April to June, later than most. On the Bellarine Peninsula, Lomas Orchards at Wallington grows more than thirty apple varieties alongside its berries, and up around Harcourt, The Orchard Keepers picks through the same February-to-May window. Closer to the coast, Atlanta Orchards on the Mornington Peninsula lists apples from $4 a kilogram across varieties including Fuji, Pink Lady, Kanzi and Gala.

In New South Wales, Hillside Harvest near Orange picks later than Bilpin thanks to the district's cooler, higher elevation, while Glenbernie Orchard in the Illawarra runs a long late-January-to-May window. Southwest of Sydney, Cedar Creek Orchard in the Sydney Basin starts from $4.50 a kilogram, and out at Batlow in the Riverina — historically one of the country's most important commercial apple towns — Mouat's Farm runs picking from February to May. Western Australia's Perth Hills orchards have the deepest bench of any state: The Fruit Corner at Pickering Brook charges around $5 entry for adults and $2 for children on top of per-kilo pricing, while Core Cider House combines picking with cidery tastings and orchard tours. South of Perth, Sheehan's Farm in Donnybrook, Western Australia's original apple town, runs a Pink Lady season from March to May.

Apple varieties — what ripens when

Part of the fun of apple picking is that the same orchard changes character across its season, as one variety finishes and the next comes on. It's not an exact national calendar — it varies by district and by year — but the general order most Australian growers report looks like this.

• Early (January–February): Granny Smith is usually first off the tree, especially in the Perth Hills, where some orchards start picking it in January.
• Mid-season (February–March): Gala, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious typically follow, along with early-ripening varieties like Early Gold reported on the Mornington Peninsula.
• Main season (March–April): Fuji and Kanzi are usually at their best through the heart of autumn, alongside Royal Gala in Queensland's Granite Belt.
• Late season (April–May, sometimes into June): Pink Lady, Rosy Glow and Sundowner tend to be the last varieties picked, often stretching the Adelaide Hills and Granite Belt seasons into early winter.

What to bring and how to pick

Apple picking is easier on kids and knees than crops that keep you bent over all day, but a little preparation still helps. Twist an apple gently upward with the stalk attached rather than pulling straight down, and it should come away cleanly if it's ready; if you have to yank hard, try another tree. Our what to bring fruit picking checklist covers the general basics, but for an autumn orchard visit specifically:

• Comfortable closed shoes — orchard rows can be muddy after autumn rain.
• A jumper or light jacket — Bilpin, Orange, the Adelaide Hills and the Huon Valley all sit at altitude and turn cold quickly once the sun drops.
• Cash as a backup, since several smaller orchards are cash-only or have patchy card reception.
• A sturdy box or crate in the car boot so your apples don't bruise on the drive home.
• A hat and sunscreen — autumn sun is milder but orchard rows still offer little shade.

Apples also keep far better than soft berries once you're home — stored unwashed in the crisper drawer, most varieties last several weeks. Our guide to storing and freezing your pick has more detail, including how to freeze apples for baking through winter.

What apple picking costs

Pricing follows the same pay-for-what-you-pick model used across most Australian u-pick fruit, usually with no separate entry fee, though some orchards charge one on top. In Gippsland, Sherwood Park Orchard charges $4 a kilogram, dropping to $3/kg on purchases over 10kg, and on the Mornington Peninsula, Atlanta Orchards lists apples from $4 a kilogram. Cedar Creek Orchard in the Sydney Basin starts from $4.50 a kilogram. Where there is an entry fee, it's usually modest: The Fruit Corner in the Perth Hills charges around $5 for adults and $2 for children, and Eastern Colour on the Granite Belt charges roughly $5 per car. Treat all of these as a guide rather than a quote — as at July 2026 several orchards, including Bilpin's, don't publish a fixed per-kilo rate online, so it pays to ask when you book or arrive.