What fruit is in season in November?

New South Wales

Strawberries are typically ripe in the Hawkesbury and Bilpin, blueberries are peaking on the Central Coast, and cherries are just starting around Orange and the Central West ahead of their December peak.

Victoria

Strawberries are starting across the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Geelong/Bellarine, with cherries also just beginning in the same regions and the Grampians/Ballarat/Bendigo area.

Queensland

Mangoes and lychees are typically at their best around the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, while cherries are just starting in the Granite Belt around Stanthorpe.

South Australia

Strawberries are typically starting in the Adelaide Hills and on the Fleurieu Peninsula, with cherries also beginning in the Adelaide Hills.

Western Australia

Strawberries continue in the Swan Valley and Wanneroo, blueberries are typically at their peak in the South West, and cherries are just starting in the Perth Hills.

Tasmania

Strawberries are typically ripe statewide, building toward the island's main December-to-February season.

Australian Capital Territory

Cherries are typically starting in the Young/Yass day-trip belt from late November, ahead of Canberra's own December-focused season.

Northern Territory

Katherine's mango season is typically finishing up, while citrus and passionfruit continue statewide as the dry season winds down.

In season in November near the major cities

Melbourne — Melbourne has arguably the best November spread of any state capital. In the Dandenong Ranges, Blue Hills Berries and Cherries in Silvan opens for both cherries and mixed berries from November, while over in the Yarra Valley, Big Fella Cherries in Coldstream is usually picking cherries from November through to January. Down on the Mornington Peninsula, Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm in Main Ridge has strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries running from November right through to April. Blue Hills runs ticketed sessions, so book ahead for that one.

Sydney — Sydney's best November options sit out in the Hawkesbury and on the Central Coast, both under two hours' drive. In Bilpin, Pine Crest Orchard has a short cherry season that's typically only open in November, so it's worth timing a visit early in the month. Nearby in Kurrajong, Blueberry Hills on Comleroy runs ticketed blueberry-picking sessions from around November through to February, and on the Central Coast, The Giving Farm in Jilliby has blueberries from October onward. Blueberry Hills books via TryBooking, so reserve a session before you drive out; the other two don't require booking.

Perth — Perth's cherry season gets underway in the Perth Hills through November. Carmel Cherry Farm in Carmel and The Fruit Corner in Pickering Brook both typically pick cherries from November into December, making a Perth Hills day trip worthwhile early in the season. Closer to the city in the Swan Valley, Ti Strawberry Farm in Bullsbrook has strawberries running from August right through to February, so they're still going strong in November. Entry is inexpensive at all three — a few dollars per adult, plus the fruit you pick.

Brisbane — Brisbane is the thinnest of the capitals for November picking. Most of the region's own strawberry farms, like Chambers Flat Strawberry Farm, wind down by October, so pickings are genuinely slim close to the city itself. Forest Dragon Fruit Farm in Forestdale is one real option, with dragon fruit typically available from November through to July. For a bigger day out, the Granite Belt around Stanthorpe is roughly two hours away and still has strawberries going at Ashbern Farms and Eastern Colour in Applethorpe, both running from October through to May.

Early November vs late November

Early November tends to be the quieter end of the month — Western Australia's Perth Hills orchards and Bilpin's Pine Crest Orchard are only just opening for cherries, while strawberry farms that started back in winter or early spring, like WA's Ti Strawberry Farm and Queensland's Granite Belt growers, are already well into their season. General-admission orchards such as Bilpin Fruit Bowl typically don't open their gates until mid-November, so an early-month visit can mean fewer options in some regions.

By late November the picture shifts noticeably. Victorian cherry farms including Blue Hills Berries and Cherries and Big Fella Cherries are picking steadily and will keep going into January, WA's Carmel Cherry Farm and The Fruit Corner are in full swing through to December, and Pine Crest Orchard's short cherry window in Bilpin is often at its best in these final weeks. Cherry volumes nationally don't really peak until December, so late November is about catching the first proper flush rather than guaranteed bumper picking.

Looking either side of November? See what's ripe in October or check what's opening up in December as cherry season hits its stride. For the full year at a glance, the Australian fruit picking season calendar maps every crop by month and state.