IF IT NEEDS PLANTING, PRUNING, PICKING or PACKING...
ITS PROBABLY HORTICULTURE!

If you have a valid Working Holiday or Student Work Visa, Tax File Number and at least three weeks availability. (Workstay recommends at least three weeks or ideally more) Are you reasonably fit (bending, climbing ladders, long hours standing, all-weather) then you will probably consider doing some horticulture work during your Australian travels? Average agriculture working week would consist of between 40 to 48 hours (Remember: Horticulture work can be subject to change without notice). The average hourly rate of pay for Horticulture work is currently between $15 and $20 per hour. Many fruit picking jobs are paid at piece rates - also called "contract" - which allows you to make better than the average hourly rate once you've got your speed up.
Seasonal horticulture work attracts a Tax rate of 13% if you tick the Resident box on your Tax File Number Declaration Form. If you complete three months horticulture work in a regional area i.e. outside a capital city, you will be eligible to apply for a 12-month extension to your working holiday visa.
Please Note: Due to high demand of inquiries from backpackers and working holiday visa holders, we have decided to put together a list of fruit growers around each state where you can contact them directly so you can find your own work in the fruit picking industry. Please check the seasons below also for the best places to start looking for jobs in these sectors.

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Albany	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Aquaculture Grain handling Grape Picking Grape Pruning Meat Processing Olive Picking Olive Pruning Salmon fishing Strawberry	Medium requirement for labour All Year Medium requirement for labour All  Year March-April June-September Medium requirement for labour All Year May-June July-August February October-May	No High season No High season March-April July-August No High Season No High Season No High season No High Season Nov-Feb	South West of WA Email - Workstay
Broome	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Melon	October-November		Greater West of WA Email - Workstay
Carnarvon	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Banana Capsicum Cucumber Eggplant Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning Line Fishing Mango Net Fishing Rockmelon Tomato Watermelon Zucchini	High requirement for labour All Year May-December May-November May-November August-December May-July Medium requirement for labour All Year January-March April-September November-April May-December November-April May-October	All Year May-Dec June-Nov June-Sept Aug-Sept June-July May-July Jan-Feburary April-August Nov-March May-December Nov-March Jun-Sept	Greater West of WA Email - Workstay
Denmark	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Blue Berries Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning	December-March February-March June-Sept	No High Season No High Season July-August	South West of WA Email- Workstay
Donnybrook	Seasons	High season		Job Options
Apple - Picking Apple - Pruning Apple - Thinning Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning Pear - Picking Stone Fruit - Picking Stone Fruit - Thinning Tomato - Picking	February-June June-september November-December January-April June-September February-April December-March November-December Feburary-April	No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season Dec-March No High Season No High Season	South West of WA Email- Workstay
Frankland	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning Olive - Picking Olive - Pruning	February-April June-September May-June July-August	No High Season July-August No High Season No High Season	South West of WA Email- Workstay
GinGin	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Citrus - Pack/Picking Citrus - Pruning Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning Olive - Pruning Stone Fruit - Pack/Picking Tree Planting Vegetable - Picking	Medium requirement for labour All  Year June-July January-February June-August July-September November-January December-January Medium requirement for labour All  Year	No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season	North of Perth Email- Workstay
Kununurra	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Citrus Corn Mango Melon Pumpkin Tree Planting	January-March June-September October-December May-November May-November March -September	Feburary-March June-July Oct-Nov May-Sept May-Sept March-July	Far North of WA Email- Workstay
Manjimup	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Apple Pear	February-May February-May	March-April March-April	South West of WA Email- Workstay
Margaret River	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning	January-March June-August	Jan-March No High Season	South of Perth Email- Workstay
Mount Barker	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Cherry Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning Strawberry Tree Harvesting Nurseries	November-January March-April June-August October-May Medium requirement for labour All  Year Medium requirement for labour All  Year	No High Season No High Season July-August Nov-Feb No High Season No High Season	South West of WA Email- Workstay
Narrogin	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Broad Acre Cropping Hay Mowing/Bailing Meat Processing Tree Harvesting Nurseries Wheat Handling Grain Harvest	April-June October-January Medium requirement for labour All  Year Medium requirement for labour All  Year Medium requirement for labour All  Year October-January October-January	No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season No High Season	South West of WA Email- Workstay
Swan Valley	Seasons	High season	LOCATION	Job Options
Grape - Picking Grape - Pruning	January-April June-September	Jan-Feb July-August	Perth Region Email- Workstay

DONNYBROOK Fruit picking region of Western Australia

Donnybrook is a 2-hour drive south of Perth and 30K's inland from Bunbury.
There is a TransWA train/bus service to Donnybrook via Bunbury every day from Perth.
Home of the Granny Smith, Pink Lady Apples. Also has stone fruit, vineyards, tree planting. Seasonal work available from October to May
Very nice, picturesque area. Town has 2 pubs, 7-day supermarket chemist, bakery etc ... and a working Hostel in town.
 

Manjimup

Is one hour south of Donnybrook and is the gateway to the Karri Forrest. Manjimup has a large variety of fruit & vegetable crops as well as some vineyards. Some seasonal work available all year. Peak season from October through June has a Pub, 7-day supermarket and a working Hostel in Town.

WHEAT & SHEEP FARMS

Workstay is about "real" working holiday experiences and for the right people
working on a wheat & sheep farm or cattle station is not only a unique Workstay but also a unique Working Holiday Experience.

BROOME

Broome has a very high turnover of travellers looking for work between April and October. Employers are really only interested in those looking to work for a minimum of 3 months (though the type of work available will in most cases not qualify for a Visa extension). Accommodation can be a big problem as it is in short supply and expensive. Hospitality and tourism is the biggest employer followed by ad hoc labouring type work. The horticulture industry (fruit-picking) is almost non-existent. The pearling industry does have some work available from April/May through to Sept/October. To find work in and around the Broome region is very much a case of knock knock knocking on doors and being in the right place at the right time. Check with Workstay
More about Jobs in Broome

KUNUNURRA

Kununurra is a big horticulture area and ideal for travellers looking for a visa extension after 3 month's harvest work.
More about: Jobs in Kununurra

For up-to-date info on weather and work conditions E-mail

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