Sunflower picking in Australia runs on a summer-into-autumn calendar rather than a single fixed window, and it shifts a lot by region. New South Wales' Central Coast is the earliest starter, with fields typically open from August to December, peaking October-November, while the Hunter Valley runs a much longer window from November right through to May, peaking January to March. South-east Queensland's paddocks — around the Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs — bloom in short staggered bursts from September through to March. Southern states are firmly a summer affair: Adelaide Hills, Victoria's Yarra Valley, the Ballarat/Bendigo district, Tasmania's north-west and the ACT's Majura Valley all open somewhere between January and March. Because sunflower fields bloom for only a few weeks each and are weather-dependent, nothing is blooming nationally through the depths of winter. Most farms charge a small entry fee, roughly $5 to $15 per person, then $2 to $5 per stem for what you cut, though some price entry as an all-inclusive picking pass instead.
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 | Peak | Peak | Peak | Available | Available | Available | Available | Peak | Peak | Available | ||
| Victoria | Peak | Peak | Peak | |||||||||
| Queensland | Peak | Peak | Available | Available | Peak | Available | Available | |||||
| South Australia | Peak | Available | ||||||||||
| Western Australia | Peak | |||||||||||
| Tasmania | Peak | Available | ||||||||||
| Australian Capital Territory | Available | Peak |
Cudgen · Gold Coast Hinterland
Kurmond · Bilpin & the Hawkesbury
Dooralong · Central Coast
Largs · Hunter Valley
Wandin East · Dandenong Ranges
Dunnstown · Grampians & Ballarat
Modewarre · Geelong & the Bellarine
Numurkah · Goulburn Valley
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Glass House Mountains · Sunshine Coast
Wamuran · Sunshine Coast
Kalbar · Brisbane & South-East Queensland
Meadows · Adelaide Hills
Tarlee · Barossa & Clare Valley
Freeling · Barossa & Clare Valley
Details may have changed. Call before travelling.
Cookernup · South West WA
Boyup Brook · South West WA
Majura · Canberra Region
Look for blooms with fully unfurled petals standing flat or slightly cupped, and a face that's bright yellow rather than pale or drooping — sunflowers don't ripen further once cut. Cut the stem at an angle, low down, with sharp snips (some farms hire these out; others ask you to bring your own). Get cut stems into water quickly and keep them out of direct sun on the drive home. At home, recut the stems and change the water every couple of days; cut sunflowers typically last five to seven days in a cool spot.
Choose a crop and location. We will email you when local farms begin opening.
Sunflower season varies widely by region. NSW's Central Coast opens earliest, roughly August to December, while the Hunter Valley runs November to May. South-east Queensland's paddocks bloom in short bursts from September to March. Southern states — Adelaide Hills, Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT — flower in summer, mostly January to March. Fields bloom for only a few weeks each and dates shift with the weather, so check a farm's socials before you drive out.
Most sunflower fields charge a small entry fee, typically $5 to $15 per person, then let you cut stems for around $2 to $5 each, sometimes with a per-adult stem limit. A few farms bundle entry and a set number of stems into one ticket, and some run free entry with a gold-coin donation instead. Exact pricing is often only confirmed on the day, so it pays to check the farm's Facebook page or website first.
Yes, though the exact farm depends on timing. The Central Coast has some of the longest sunflower windows in NSW, typically August to December, while the Hunter Valley runs a later, longer season into autumn. Sydney basin farms also grow sunflowers among mixed flower crops. Drive times run from about an hour to just over ninety minutes from the Sydney CBD depending on the district, and bloom dates shift year to year.
Yes. The Yarra Valley and the Ballarat/Bendigo district both have pick-your-own sunflower fields, typically blooming January to March depending on the farm and the season's weather. These are short, weather-dependent windows of a few weeks each rather than a long season, so it's worth following the farm's social media for its opening announcement before planning a drive from Melbourne.
Yes, in a couple of directions. The Lockyer Valley and Scenic Rim, within reach of Brisbane, run an earlier spring window from around September to November, while paddocks further out on the Darling Downs and near Kalbar bloom in summer, roughly December to March. Both are short, staggered seasons depending on planting dates, so confirm a field is actually blooming before you drive out.