Fruit picking in Australia

Fruit picking in Australia is a traditionally favourite job for backpackers wanting to earn a bit of cash as they travel Down Under. Nowadays, however, there are plenty of other alternatives available to gap year or career break travellers than fruit picking in Australia. If you travel to Oz on one of Real Gap's ‘Work and Play' packages we can guarantee you a firm job offer Down Under. For an up-to-date list of the job vacancies Real Gap currently has available simply call one of our travel advisers - you will be amazed at the variety of jobs on offer and how far things have moved on from just fruit picking in Australia.

While fruit picking in Australia isn't for everyone, it shouldn't be ruled out as a gap year job. If you would like to work outdoors in the Aussie sunshine with fellow travellers then fruit picking in Australia is an excellent option. The amount of work available fruit picking in Australia is at its highest in the Australian summer, between December and May. However because Australia is such a huge country it is usually possible to find work fruit picking work in Australia all year round.

An easy way of finding work fruit picking in Australia is by checking for job vacancies on backpacker hostel notice boards. Much of the fruit picking in Australia is in relatively remote towns so call ahead and make sure there is definitely going to be work available when you get there. Most towns whose main industry is fruit picking in Australia will have a backpackers' hostel where most of the fruit pickers tend to stay. In some cases accommodation for fruit picking in Australia may even be provided at the fruit farm itself.
 
Fruit picking in Australia is great exercise and can be physically demanding. Fruit picking in Australia can also often involve spending a lot of time up a ladder so if this is something you don't think you will be comfortable with it's probably better to consider something other than fruit picking in Australia.

The money that you earn fruit picking in Australia will depend on how good you are at it, (which is why it's so important to be physically fit if you are considering fruit picking). Fruit picking in Australia involves putting the picked fruit in to ‘buckets' or bins. At the end of each day the number of buckets you have filled is counted up and the pay you receive is based on the number of completed buckets. It is sometimes possible to find work fruit picking in Australia where you are paid by the hour, (anything above ten dollars an hour can be considered a decent wage). Payment for fruit picking in Australia at an hourly rate is usually restricted to grape growers and vineyards who like to avoid the ‘bucket' method because it's so important for their fruit to remain in absolutely pristine condition. Pay rates for fruit picking in Australia are set in agreement with the Australian Workers' Union so, if you don't think the rates offered to you sound high enough, it's worth checking what the latest minimum pay rates for fruit picking in Australia currently are.

Whichever method of payment you receive when you are fruit picking in Australia, the usual working day is that you start work early in the morning and finish in the early afternoon - before the Australian sunshine makes working too uncomfortable. The reality is that most travellers will find they can earn a decent income from fruit picking in Australia while, for others, fruit picking in Australia proves to be too physically demanding and they earn little for their endeavours.

Before you start any job fruit picking in Australia your new employer should give you some training regarding safe and effective picking techniques. Most travellers fruit picking in Australia find that they don't manage to pick much in the first couple of days but, as they gradually become accustomed to the work and recommended picking technique, they do become much faster. The picking techniques you are taught for fruit picking in Australia, aside from enabling you to pick faster, are also designed to ensure that your body stands up to the daily rigours of fruit picking. Other health and safety essentials for fruit picking in Australia are wearing sunglasses and sunscreen, gloves for protection from spikes and thorns and a decent pair of sturdy boots.   

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