Fruit Picking & Seasonal Work

By Sara Templeton

Typical summer scenario: "I'm all outta cash... Anyone know where the closest harvest is?"

Fruit picking is the backpackers lifesaver, not just in Australia, but throughout Europe and the Americas.

But to say it's a job only taken up by backpackers and students would be like saying that Mount Everest is a small hill in the South of France.

In Australia, the fruit/produce picking season, also known as harvest, peaks during summer. Between the months of December and May, the majority of fruit across Australia, such as grapes, stone fruit (plums, peaches, apricots) and mangoes come into season, but there are many expections to this rule.

Careers In Fruitpicking

For instance, in different states and territories, the weather patterns and temperatures can change year in and year out, so the picking season can often differ. In Western Australia, for example, they get more days of sunshine on average than any other state.

As a result, regions such as Manjimup, Pemberton, and Bunbury in Western Australia hold their apple harvest between March and May.

Furthermore, it's not just fresh fruit that is gathered annually, but also seafood - in particular crayfish, prawns, rock lobsters.

In general, becoming a fruit picker requires no experience and most farms and orchards are eager to get more hands working, but those who have entertained the idea of harvesting fruit are quick to talk about the hard labour.

Most fruit pickers start early in the morning and finish before the brunt of the summer sunshine hits later on in the afternoon, though this will of course vary from one orchard to the next.

Therefore, being physically fit and having good stamina helps, and here are some other essentials:

• Sunglasses - it gets quite bright

• Gloves - protection from spikes, thorns, spiders and pesticides

• Sunscreen - protection from Sol

• Hat - makes you look cool

• Hardy boots/shoes - protection from snakes, pesticides and bullants

• Big drink container - it's thirsty work

Payment depends on a number of issues, such as how good the harvest is, and what the particular fruit or produce is.

Some land owners prefer to pay pickers by the hour (anything above $10 an hour is good), such as vineyards and grape growers, because they want the fruit to remain in pristine condition. Bruising is not an option. And until robots are developed that can climb trees and pick fruit without bruising them (quite hard when your hands are made of titanium alloys...), there'll always be work available for those who want it.

Most places, however, pay per bucket, bin or box filled rather than by the hour. So - the harder you work, the bigger the rewards. Another bonus in becoming a fruit picker are all the interesting people you'll meet on your travels. For the most part, meals and accommodation are also supplied.

Listed below is rough guide as to the various time-frames of the many harvests around Australia:

New South Wales

At the end of the day, if you like to work outdoors, enjoy keeping fit and want to get paid, then fruit picking may just be the job for you.

The best way to line up work as a fruit picker is to call Employment National on 133 444, or try Anywork-Anywhere.com, who have a well-thought out employment search page: click here to check it out. Also, check out www.pickingjobs.com for a world-wide list of fruit-picking employment opportunities.