What’s Picking Now: Farm Work in Australia, June 2026

June is winter, so the farm work moves north.

If you’re chasing picking work right now, head to Queensland, the Top End, or the north of Western Australia. The southern states have gone quiet. Down in Victoria and Tasmania the orchards and vineyards are bare, and most of the winter work there is pruning, not picking.

Here’s exactly what’s being picked, where, and what to do if you’re planning your next move.

The quick answer: go north or inland in June

Three things are happening on Australian farms in June:

1. The tropical north is hiring. Strawberries in southern Queensland, bananas in the far north, mangoes and melons starting in WA and the NT.
2. Citrus is in season inland. Navel oranges and mandarins across the Riverina, Sunraysia and the SA Riverland.
3. The south switches to pruning. Mildura and Griffith have months of grapevine and orchard pruning work. It’s not glamorous, but it counts toward your 88 days and it pays the same.

If you’re in Melbourne or Hobart hoping to pick fruit in June, you’re in the wrong spot. Move.

What’s picking now, by region

For the full year-round picture, see our Fruit Picking Seasons Australia 2026 guide. It maps every crop, every month, every region.

Queensland is your safest bet

Queensland is the closest thing Australia has to year-round farm work, and June is no exception.

Strawberries start picking from June around Bundaberg, Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast, and run through to October. It’s clean, fast work, usually paid by the hour or by piece rate. The strawberry season is one of the most reliable backpacker jobs in the country.

Bananas in Tully and Innisfail run all year. The far north stays warm and wet, so banana packing sheds and field work keep going through winter while the rest of the country slows down.

Winter vegetables (tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini, beans) are picking around Bundaberg and Bowen. Bowen in particular fires up over winter and is a solid place to land if you turn up ready to work.

See live listings on the Queensland farm work page and the strawberry picking page.

The mango trail starts up north

If you want to follow a season from start to finish, June is when the mango trail begins.

Mangoes ripen from the top of the country downward. By June, early work is building around Kununurra in WA and the Darwin and Katherine regions in the NT. It ramps up through spring and rolls south into Queensland by November and December.

It’s the dry season up north now, which is the only sensible time to be there. Get in early and you can ride the mango harvest for months. The same regions also have melons, pumpkins and Asian vegetables through winter.

Live roles on the Western Australia page and the Northern Territory page.

Citrus and pruning keep the inland busy

You don’t have to go tropical. The inland irrigation regions work right through winter.

Citrus is in season now. Navel oranges and mandarins are picking across Griffith and Leeton in the Riverina, Mildura and Robinvale in Sunraysia, and Renmark, Berri and Loxton in the SA Riverland. Citrus picking is hard on the hands but the work is steady and the regions have good infrastructure for travellers.

Pruning is the other winter staple. After the grape and stone-fruit harvests finish, the vines and trees need cutting back. Mildura and Griffith can keep you in pruning work for two to three months straight, June through August. It’s repetitive, but it counts toward your visa days and it’s reliable when picking work is thin.

Check the citrus picking page and the Victoria farm work page for what’s live.

Planning your 88 days around winter

Winter is a good time to bank specified work, as long as you go to an eligible region.

Pruning counts. Picking counts. Packing counts. If you’re doing it on a farm in an approved postcode, the type of work doesn’t matter for your visa, so don’t skip a winter pruning job just because it isn’t picking. A solid stint pruning in Mildura or Griffith can knock out a big chunk of your 88 days while the southern orchards sit empty.

If you’re new to all this, start with our 88 days farm work guide. It explains what counts, what doesn’t, and how to keep your payslips in order.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fruit is picking in June in Australia?

In June, Queensland strawberries are in full swing around Bundaberg, Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast. Bananas run year-round in Tully and Innisfail. Citrus (navel oranges and mandarins) is in season across the Riverina, Sunraysia and the SA Riverland. In the tropical north, Kununurra and Carnarvon in WA and the Darwin and Katherine regions have mangoes, melons and vegetables. Down south, the work is mostly pruning grapevines and orchards rather than picking.

Is June a good time to find farm work in Australia?

Yes, if you go where the work is. June is winter, so southern states like Victoria and Tasmania are quiet for picking. But the tropical north and the inland citrus belts are busy. Head north or inland in June, not south.

Where can backpackers find winter farm work in Australia?

The reliable winter hubs are Bundaberg, Childers and the Sunshine Coast (strawberries and veg), Tully and Innisfail (bananas), Kununurra and Carnarvon in WA (mangoes, melons, veg), and the citrus belts of Griffith, Mildura and the Riverland. Mildura and Griffith also have months of pruning work through winter.

Does pruning count towards 88 days for a second-year visa?

Yes. Pruning and trimming of plants on a farm in an eligible postcode counts as specified work, the same as picking and packing. Winter pruning is a common way to bank 88 days during the quieter season.

What farm work is available in Queensland in June?

Strawberries are picking from June around Bundaberg, Caboolture and the Sunshine Coast. Bananas run all year in Tully and Innisfail. Winter vegetables are picking around Bundaberg and Bowen. Queensland is the closest thing Australia has to year-round farm work.

Where are the mangoes picking in June?

Mango season starts in the tropical north. By June, early work is building around Kununurra in WA and the Darwin and Katherine regions in the NT, ramping up through to December.

This is a seasonal update. We refresh it every month. Check back in July for the next read on what’s picking, or browse live farm jobs across Australia right now.