The Ultimate Guide to Fruit Picking in Sydney
Where to Pick Fruit from All Year Round in Sydney and Beyond
Hawkesbury
🍎 Bilpin Fruit Bowl, Bilpin
Produce: Strawberries (all year round), green almonds (end Sept), loquats (October) cherries (November to December), peaches (November to January), apricots (December), apples (end Jan to June), figs (end March to end April).
It’s not called the fruit bowl for nothing! At this popular farm, you’ll get to pick one of the largest variety of fruit in the state – almost all year round. And after planting close to 100,000 strawberry plants in temperature controlled hot houses, the Bilpin Fruit Bowl is also one of the largest strawberry growers in the Hawkesbury with the family-run farm aiming to make strawberry picking available to visitors throughout the year. Once you’ve had your fill of fruit picking, take a stroll or enjoy a picnic in the farm’s expansive bushland and gardens surrounding the orchards. BYO bags or purchase them for $2 from the farm.
Cost: $20 for adults, $10 + fruit picked/kilo – bookings essential
Location: 2093 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin 2758
Info: www.bilpinfruitbowl.com.au
Contact: 0404 061 262
🍎 Pine Crest Orchard, Bilpin
Produce: Cherries (October), apples (January to May), chestnuts and walnuts (March to April), persimmons (April to June).
This family-run Blue Mountains orchard offers a lovely PYO – pick your own fruit – experience – with a rustic shop offering home baked goods and pies (using farm fresh produce), seasonal ice-cream varieties (persimmon sorbet is our fave), fruit by the kilo, ciders and more. After 3 years, their cherry trees have started to bear fruit so this Spring will see the start of their first cherry harvest. Love a good apple? You’ll also find a wide range of apple varieties – not surprising as the family has been growing apples and pears for over 40 years – including some lesser known types like Tydeman’s and Akane.
Cost: $2 entry free + fruit picking/kilo – check their Facebook page before you visit as this boutique family farm can often get picked out of fruit!
Location: 2450 Bells Line of Road, Behind Bilpin School, Bilpin NSW 2758
Info: www.pinecrestorchard.com.au
Contact: johngalbraith06@gmail.com
🍎 Shields Orchard, Bilpin
Produce: Apple varieties (early February to May).
At this family run orchard, you’ll sample some popular apple varieties like Batlow and Royal Gala, as well as the lesser known (but equally delicious) types including Cox’s Orange Pippin, Firmgold, and the NZ heirloom apple Splendor. Whichever variety you end up picking, they’re sure to be crisp and sweet – in fact apples from the Blue Mountains are some of Australia’s best. Best of all, with each variety ripening at different times, you can visit this farm from Summer to Autumn and still enjoy a fruit picking experience. Bookings are required but there’s no entry charge, just pay for what you pick.
Cost: No entry free, fruit picked by the kilo
Location: 2270 Bells Line of Rd Bilpin
Info: www.shieldsorchard.com
Contact: 0427772431 or (02) 4567 1206
🍎 TNT Produce
Produce: Strawberries (end Oct), apples (January to June), persimmons (April to June), tomatoes (May).
This farm run by third generation orchardists is great for families and groups of all sizes – little ones in particular with love the friendly farm animals, including geese, lamas and goats. In terms of pick your own (PYO) fruit and veg, there’s fresh tomatoes straight from the vine, sweet and crunchy persimmons, Pink Lady apples, strawberries and more depending on the season. At their fresh produce store, you’ll also find local Bilpin products like Bilpin honey, Bilpin apple juice, local jams, oils, olives and more.
Cost: $10/adult, $5 kids 3-12 years, fruit picked/kilo – no bookings, walk-in only
Location: 153 Kurts Road, Bilpin
Info: www.tntproduce.com.au
Contact: 0410 676 152
Wollondilly Shire
🍎 Darkes Glenbernie Orchard, Darkes Forest
Produce: Peaches and nectarines (November), apples (January to April).
More than a farm, Glenbernie Orchard has become a destination – from families looking for a fun day out of fruit picking, beer enthusiasts attending the farm’s annual Cider Day event (cider fans don’t go past their award winning Darkes Cider(, and even as a romantic backdrop for engagements. But if it’s fruit picking you’re after, the farm is the go-to for lush stone fruit – think peaches and nectarines – which are ripe for picking around November, and juicy apples which you can pick straight from the tree from January to April. Book a 90-minute tour to pick-your-own for $20 and you’ll get a bonus tractor ride.
Cost: Free entry to farm and cafe, $20 for pick your own + tractor ride
Location: 259 Darkes Forest Rd Darkes Forest NSW 2508
Info: www.darkes.com.au
Contact: (02) 4294 3421
🍎 Cedar Creek Orchard, Thirlmere
Produce: Stone fruit – think peaches and nectarines (November to January), apples (January to May), persimmons (April to May).
The Slim family have been tending Cedar Creek Orchard in Thirlmere since the 1940s with the fourth generation now at the helm of a 100-acre property boasting over 23,000 fruit trees. Book a guided farm tour (note November and early April to mid-May are blackout periods due to harvest season) where you’ll sample fruit and watch apples being crushed for juice – their in-demand Cedar Creek Black Label Apple Juice is crushed and bottled right on the farm (so be sure to pick up a bottle). There’s also non-alcoholic cider and honey available for purchase at the farm.
Cost: From $8, fruit picked/kilo – bookings required
Location: 269 Mulhollands Rd Thirlmere 2572
Info: www.cedarcreekorchards.com.au
Contact: (02) 4681 8457
🍎 Berrylicious, Thirlmere
Produce: Strawberries (end October).
Ever tried a farm fresh strawberry straight from the vine? Warm and fragrant, and bursting with a tangy sweetness, it’s a far cry from the supermarket fare many of us are used to. If you’ve been wondering what all the fuss is about, Berrylicious is just the destination to indulge your (or your kids’) strawberry picking and eating dreams. Berrylicious Strawberries grows their fruit in a unique greenhouse with the plants living inside tunnels elevated two meters from the ground – as well as eliminating most pests and bacteria, this means you can visit rain, hail or shine. Best of all, with their ‘eat as much as you want’ entry fee, you don’t have to wait until you’ve weighed the strawberries to tuck in.
Cost: Eat as many strawberries as you like $22/pp, children under 10 $11, strawberries picked to take home $25/kilo – bookings essential.
Location: 200B west parade , Thirlmere 2572
Info: www.facebook.com/berryliciousstrawberries
Contact: berryliciousstrawbs@gmail.com
South Coast
🍎 Clyde River Berry Farm
Produce: Blueberries (December to January), other seasonal berries available with dates for picking published on their Facebook page.
This gorgeous riverside farm located near Batemans Bay on the South Coast is where blueberry enthusiasts head to when they want to tuck into a fresh punnet of these delicious superfoods. The family-run Clyde River Berry farm also specialises in strawberries, blackberries and raspberries with harvest dates shared via their Facebook page (a bit like a secret sale event). Done berry picking? Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic on the banks of the Clyde River, or pop into their shop to pick up a homemade treat – like local farm-fresh jam, bush honey, berry ice-cream and of course freshly harvested fruit.
Cost: $2/pp + fruit picked/kilo
Location: Lot 22 River Road, Mogood
Info: www.clyderiverberryfarm.com.au
Contact: (02) 4478 1057
Central Coast
🍎 Meliora Farm, Central Coast
Produce: Oranges and lemons (year-round), mandarins (May to September), avocados (August to January).
Citrus lovers rejoice! This farm which blends traditional, bio-dynamic and organic farming practices specialises in zesty citrus fruits – and they’re typically available to pick all year round. Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the gorgeous scenery following their fruit-picking foray, there’s also farm tours available for those who want to know more about the ins and outs of this pretty farm which was established in 1925. Entry is free and visitors are given their own Meliora farm bag upon arrival, which they can fill to the brim (approximately 12kg of fruit) for $30 (or $2 for a single piece of fruit).
Cost: Entry free, $30/12kg fruit bag
Location: 1504 Peats Ridge Rd Peats Ridge 2250
Info: www.meliorafarm.com.au
Contact: (02) 4373 1826
Orange
🍎 Huntley Berry Farm, Orange
Produce: Strawberries (October), seasonal veg throughout the year.
Come for the berries and stay for the veg! Whilst the berries are what put Huntley Berry Farm on the map, this not-for-profit farm which prides itself on providing NDIS supported employment to locals, offers vegetables for seasonal picking as well. Choose from zucchinis, peas and cucumbers, along with a garden shed of seasonal produce. There’s also alpacas, goats, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs for little ones to coo over and pet. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own bucket and bags – but don’t despair if you’ve come empty handed, they’ll gladly provide a re-usable bucket for fruit picking as well.
Cost: Entry free, fruit picked/kilo
Location: 1024 Huntley Road, Huntley 2800
Info: www.huntleyberryfarm.com.au
Contact: (02) 6365 5282
🍎 Canobolas Cherries, Orange
Produce: Cherries (December).
If $8 a kilo for cherries sounds too good to be true, head to Canobolas Cherry Farm, located in the foothills of Mount Canobolas, where you’ll snag some of the juiciest cherries in the state for less than the price of two cups of Sydney coffee! Whilst the cherry season is fleeting, not to mention fickle, the farm publishes regular updates on harvest dates so be sure to check their Facebook page to avoid disappointment. Whilst you’re there, marvel at the stunning views of Mount Canobolas or take a trip to Lake Canobolas (a tranquil reservoir teaming with water activities) just a short drive away.
Cost: Entry free, $8/kilo
Location: Contact for address
Info: www.facebook.com/canobolascherries
Contact: 0458 312 453
🍎 Nashdale Orchard, Orange
Produce: Cherries (December), apples are also grown on the farm but only cherry picking is available.
Nestled in the beautiful Orange countryside, Nashdale Orchards is a gorgeous regional farm boasting a 3-bedroom farmstead as well as a dedicated campsite for those wanting to make a weekend or week out of their visit. Whilst the orchards showcase an impressive variety of apples, including Royal Gala, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji – providing a picturesque backdrop for a picnic come harvest time – this working farm specialises in pick your own cherries. The cherry season usually kicks off around December with the farm suggesting visitors check their website for dates prior to a visit.
Cost: $10 entry + fruit picked/kilo
Location: 59 Stanford Road, Canobolas 2800
Info: www.nashdaleorchards.com.au
Contact: 0437 062 882
Batlow
🍎 Mouat’s Farm, Batlow
Produce: Apples (February to June), cherries (December to January).
This Batlow farm in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains is abundant with fruit trees, the oldest of which were mere seedlings in the 1920s. If you’re en route to Beechworth via the Snowy Valley Way, pop by the farmgate store to fill the boot with fresh apples, cherries and berries – not to mention fresh free-range eggs, homemade jams and Batlow Apple Pies baked fresh and delivered to the farm . Come summer, the family can self-pick a bucket of cherries and twist the first Gala apples from their branches. From there, other fruit varieties roll out, including Kanzi, Fuji, Granny Smith and Pink Lady, until the picking season ends in early June.
Cost:
Location: 4129 Batlow Road Wyola Batlow 2730
Info: www.facebook.com/mouatsfarm
Contact: 0427 491 519
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Has this article got you dreaming of a farm stay? Read our Ultimate Guide to Farm Stays Out of Sydney for more family-friendly day trip ideas.
And if there’s a fruit or veg picking farm you’ve recently visited that you loved, drop us a note in the comments below. We love hearing about family friendly farm experiences.
Want to make a stay-cay out of it? We’ve also listed some regional farms from Orange to Batlow where you can get your fruit picking fix. For tips on managing costs during your fruit-picking adventures, check out this holiday budgeting guide to make sure you enjoy the day without breaking the bank.
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