This is our complete guide to fruit picking seasons in New Zealand.
Mix healthy lashings of sun and rain with a mild, temperate climate, and you’ve got the perfect conditions for growing fruit and vegetables. Welcome to New Zealand – a country renowned for its produce, whether in the form of apples and kiwifruit, onions and squash, or the crushed grapes of its famous wines.
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NZ Harvest Calendar: When and Where to Pick Fruit as a Backpacker
Fruit picking is almost a rite of passage for backpackers in New Zealand, offering opportunities for casual, temporary work that can prove to be a real money maker for good workers. So let’s take a closer look at fruit picking in New Zealand, and when and where you should go for the best opportunities.
Where is the best place for fruit picking work in New Zealand?
New Zealand is a surprisingly big place; a range of different climates are found up and down its length, and certain areas are known for certain crops. The best place for fruit picking will depend on the fruit or veg that you aim to pick.
Being closer to the equator, you can expect to find more subtropical fruits and vegetables, like avocado, olives, kiwifruit and stone fruit on the North Island. The South Island is home to crops that prefer cooler conditions, like white wine grapes, apples, pears and berries.
North Island Harvest Seasons
- Hawke’s Bay: Grapes, apples, pears, stone fruit, vegetables
- Wairarapa: Red wine grapes, olives
- Bay of Plenty: Kiwifruit, avocados
- Northland: Avocado, citrus, olives
- Waikato: Onions, potatoes, asparagus, blueberries
- Auckland: Strawberries, grapefruit
- Gisborne: Apples, citrus, vegetables
South Island Harvest Seasons
- Otago: Apples, grapes, stone fruit
- Marlborough: White wine grapes, sweetcorn, olives
- Nelson: Apples, pears, berries
- Canterbury: Asparagus, pumpkin, peas
Fruit Picking / Harvest Seasons
When and where will fruit and veg be growing in New Zealand while you’re there? Browse the fruit season chart below to find the best time for work.
| Fruit / Vegetable Crop | Harvest Months | Best Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | January – June Peak: March – May | Hawke’s Bay Nelson Otago Waikato Gisborne |
| Strawberries | November – March Peak: January – February | Auckland |
| Grapefruit | June – October Peak: August – September | Northland Waikato Auckland |
| Lemons | June – January Peak: July – August | Northland Bay of Plenty Gisborne |
| Kiwifruit | March – August Peak: May – July | Bay Of Plenty Te Puke Tauranga Northland |
| Raspberries | December – June Peak: February – April | Nelson |
| Blueberries | December – March Peak: January – February | Waikato Bay of Plenty |
| Peaches | December – April Peak: January – February | Hawke’s Bay Otago |
| Grapes | February – June Peak: February – April | Marlborough Otago Wairarapa |
| Plums | December – April Peak: January – March | Hawke’s Bay Otago |
| Sweet corn | January – April Peak: February – March | Hawke’s Bay Marlborough |
| Oranges | June – October Peak: August – September | Northland Gisborne |
| Mandarins | May – September Peak: June – July | Northland Gisborne |
| Avocados | September – April Peak: January – February | Bay of Plenty Northland Waikato |
| Olives | March – July Peak: April – May | Northland Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa Marlborough |
| Macadamia | May – October Peak: June – July | Northland Auckland Bay of Plenty Marlborough |
| Onions | November – March Peak: January – February | Waikato Auckland |
| Potatoes | Year round Peak: April – June | Waikato Auckland |
| Asparagus | July – December Peak: October – November | Waikato Hawke’s Bay Canterbury |
| Pears | February – July Peak: April – May | Hawke’s Bay Nelson |
| Squash | Year round Peak: February – March | Hawke’s Bay Gisborne |
| Pumpkin | January – May Peak: March – April | Hawke’s Bay Auckland Canterbury |
| Nectarines | November – March Peak: January – February | Hawke’s Bay Otago |
| Peas | November – April Peak: February – March | Canterbury Hawke’s Bay Marlborough |
| Cherries | November – February Peak: December – January | Otago Hawke’s Bay |
| Tomatoes | December – March Peak: February – March | Hawke’s Bay Gisborne |