In May, strawberries, blueberries and apples are the strongest picks across Australia. We track 250 farms with at least one crop in season this month — browse by crop or state below, and call ahead before you travel.
May is late autumn, and the pick-your-own calendar shifts noticeably as apple and pear season tails off in the south while citrus starts to build in the north and west. Western Australia's Perth Hills and Chittering Valley move into olives, persimmons and the first kiwifruit and citrus, and Queensland's Bundaberg region starts picking citrus as its strawberry season also begins early. The Northern Territory's dry season is properly underway, with passionfruit, citrus and the first tomatoes on offer. Southern apple and pear orchards in the Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania are winding down after a strong autumn run, and the last of the season's berries are largely finished. It's a genuine shoulder month, with the calendar handing over from stone-and-pome fruit to citrus.
Apples continue in Bilpin and Orange, citrus builds on the Central Coast and starts in the Sydney Basin, and the last of the Orange strawberries and raspberries trickle through.
Apples are winding down in the Yarra Valley, Dandenongs and Gippsland, with the last of the season's berries, pumpkins and chestnuts still around in pockets.
Bundaberg's citrus and early strawberry season gets underway, the Granite Belt's apples and pears are winding down, and olives continue in the Scenic Rim.
Apples are past their best in the Adelaide Hills, with just the last of the season's Fleurieu strawberries still around.
Olives reach their peak in Perth's northern suburbs, citrus starts around Chittering Valley, and persimmons and the first kiwifruit are ready in the Perth Hills.
Apples and pears are in their final weeks statewide, with the last berries largely finished.
Apples and pears remain around Pialligo, though the season is winding down as autumn ends.
The dry season is in full swing, with passionfruit and citrus continuing and the first tomatoes starting across the Top End and Katherine.
Melbourne — In the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne, May is largely a last-chance month. Rayner's Orchard at Woori Yallock runs its guided tractor tour through persimmons, figs, pears, apples, feijoas, tamarillos and pomegranates right through to the end of May, and further west at Bacchus Marsh, Payne's Orchards is picking its last Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples before the season closes. Both require booking ahead at this stage of the season.
Sydney — Around Sydney, May is a changeover month. At Laughtondale on the Hawkesbury, Watkins Family Farm starts its citrus picking in May, with mandarins, lemons, cumquats, limes and grapefruit on offer through to September. Nearby at Galston, The Persimmon Place has a short May-to-early-June persimmon window, while at Bilpin, Shields Orchard is picking its last apples of the season, which typically wraps up by the end of the month.
Perth — Perth Hills orchards are handing over from apples to citrus in May. At Pickering Brook, Core Cider House is picking its last apples and pears of the season alongside cider tastings and orchard tours, while further north at Lower Chittering, The Orchard Perth starts picking mandarins in May as part of its tractor tour and fruit-picking experience, with citrus running through to October.
Brisbane — Near Brisbane, May is genuinely quiet — there's little in full swing this close to the city. At Forestdale on the southern outskirts, Forest Dragon Fruit Farm is past its February-to-May peak but may still have fruit late in the month, and out toward Woodford, Curlew Ridge Flower Farm is in the final weeks of its pick-your-own flower season. Call ahead before driving out to either.
See what else is ripe the month before and after — what's in season in April and what's in season in June — or browse the full fruit picking season calendar for Australia for a year-round view.
Early May still overlaps with the last of autumn's fruit: apples and pears are finishing up at orchards like Rayner's Orchard in Woori Yallock and Payne's Orchards in Bacchus Marsh (both Mar-May), and Shields Orchard in Bilpin (Feb-May), while Core Cider House in the Perth Hills is picking its last apples and pears for the year. By late May, the balance has tipped toward citrus and persimmons: Watkins Family Farm's citrus season at Laughtondale is well underway (May-Sep), The Orchard Perth's mandarins near Chittering are just getting started (May-Oct), and The Persimmon Place at Galston is heading into the final fortnight of its short May-to-early-June window. Exact end dates shift with weather each year, so call ahead to confirm what a particular farm has ready that week.
| State | What's ripe | Where |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries | Orange & Central West |
| Victoria | strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries | Dandenong Ranges |
| Queensland | strawberries, apples and citrus | Brisbane & South-East Queensland |
| South Australia | strawberries and apples | Adelaide Hills |
| Western Australia | apples, pears and citrus | Swan Valley |
| Tasmania | strawberries, apples, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries | Hobart & the Huon Valley |
| Australian Capital Territory | apples and pears | Canberra Region |
Gisborne · Macedon Ranges
Bilpin · Bilpin & the Hawkesbury
Lenswood · Adelaide Hills
Landers Shoot · Sunshine Coast
Herne Hill · Swan Valley
Sackville North · Bilpin & the Hawkesbury
Mountain River · Hobart & the Huon Valley
Lidster · Orange & Central West
Stanthorpe · Granite Belt
Moorooduc · Mornington Peninsula
Galston · Sydney Basin
Avonsleigh · Dandenong Ranges
Mount Charlton · Mackay & Whitsundays
Buninyong · Grampians & Ballarat
Meadowvale · Bundaberg & Wide Bay
Hahndorf · Adelaide Hills
Choose a crop and location. We will email you when local farms begin opening.
May is a shoulder month as apples and pears wind down in the south while citrus builds in the north and west. WA's Perth Hills and Chittering Valley move into olives, persimmons, kiwifruit and citrus, Bundaberg in Queensland starts its citrus and early strawberry season, and the Top End's dry-season crops, including passionfruit and the first tomatoes, are underway. Southern berry season is largely finished.
Only in a few places by May. Queensland's Bundaberg region starts its strawberry season early in May, and a handful of late Orange and Fleurieu patches in NSW and SA may still have fruit, but the wider southern strawberry season has finished for the year. It's worth calling ahead, since availability at this point depends heavily on the individual farm.
May is when citrus season really starts to build. Bundaberg in Queensland, the Sydney Basin and Central Coast in NSW, and Chittering Valley in WA all begin or ramp up citrus picking around this time, though the fullest citrus season typically runs into July. Check with the farm which varieties are ready, as mandarins and oranges often ripen at different times.
Near Perth, May means olives at their peak in the northern suburbs, persimmons and early kiwifruit in the Perth Hills, and citrus starting around Chittering Valley. Apple season in the Perth Hills is winding down but a few late orchards may still have fruit. Confirm with each farm what's currently ready before heading out, since availability shifts quickly this time of year.
May's picking is more niche, so booking requirements vary by farm. Olive, citrus and persimmon picking generally doesn't need advance booking, though it's still worth calling first to confirm opening days, since some orchards move to weekends-only or close as their main season ends. Always check availability before you drive out.
Near Melbourne, May is mostly a last-chance month rather than a new season starting. In the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley, Rayner's Orchard at Woori Yallock is picking the last of its persimmons, figs, pears, apples, feijoas, tamarillos and pomegranates, all of which wrap up by the end of May. West of the city at Bacchus Marsh, Payne's Orchards is picking its final Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples of the season. Both farms require booking ahead, so confirm availability before you drive out.
Yes, May is one of the better months for persimmons on the pick-your-own calendar. In the Sydney Basin, The Persimmon Place at Galston runs a short window from May into early June, and in Victoria's Yarra Valley area, Rayner's Orchard at Woori Yallock has persimmons through to the end of May as part of its guided orchard tour. Persimmon picking generally requires booking ahead, and picked fruit is usually charged by the kilogram, so check each farm's current pricing before you visit.
