Victorian Cherry Harvest Trail
There's nothing quite like the taste of a sweet, juicy cherry picked fresh from the tree! Victoria's cherry harvest season is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a day out with family or friends, visiting picturesque orchards, picking delicious fruit and discovering farmgate shops selling freshly harvested cherries.
The Victorian Cherry Harvest Trail takes visitors through some of the state's most beautiful fruit-growing regions, including the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, Bacchus Marsh and Upper Goulburn Valley.
Victoria's cherry season generally begins in November and continues through January, although some late varieties may remain available into February. The busiest period is usually in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Cherry picking is a particularly enjoyable activity for families, with children experiencing the excitement of finding ripe fruit and learning where their food comes from. Many farms also offer freshly picked cherries, ice creams, preserves, drinks and other seasonal produce.
Pick Your Own Cherries or Farmgate Sales?
Not every orchard allows visitors to pick cherries directly from the trees.- Pick Your Own (U-Pick): Visitors enter the orchard and harvest their own cherries. Entry fees, bookings and charges for fruit taken home vary between farms.
- Farmgate Sales: Visitors purchase freshly harvested and packed cherries directly from the grower. Some farmgate shops also sell cherry products and other local produce.
- Both: Some farms offer cherry picking as well as a shop selling pre-picked fruit.
Tips for Picking, Selecting and Storing Cherries
- Choose cherries that are plump, firm and shiny, with fresh green stems.
- Cherries do not continue ripening after being picked, so select ripe fruit.
- Handle cherries gently to avoid bruising.
- Keep cherries cool and refrigerate them as soon as possible.
- Store cherries in the refrigerator, preferably unwashed until ready to eat.
- Wash cherries thoroughly before eating.
- Cherries can be frozen for longer-term storage, although their texture may soften after thawing.
Plan Your Visit
- Check that cherry picking or farmgate sales are operating before travelling.
- Opening dates depend on weather conditions, fruit ripeness and harvest volumes.
- Book online where required, especially for weekends and school holidays.
- Wear comfortable clothing, enclosed shoes and a sun hat.
- Bring sunscreen and drinking water.
- Follow orchard instructions and only pick fruit from designated areas.
- Check whether fruit picked is charged separately from admission.
- Bring an insulated bag or cooler to keep purchased cherries fresh during the journey home.
Upper Goulburn Valley
Koala Cherries (Yarck)
6547 Maroondah Highway, YarckKoala Cherries is a premium cherry producer offering freshly harvested cherries directly from its orchard and packing facility near Yarck.
Visitors can purchase fresh cherries and enjoy a selection of cherry-related products, which may include cherry ice cream, preserves, sauces and other locally produced treats.
Experience: Farmgate cherry sales.
Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges
Big Fella Cherries (Coldstream)
38 Boundary Road, ColdstreamBig Fella Cherries offers visitors the opportunity to pick delicious cherries directly from the trees in a picturesque Yarra Valley orchard.
The family-friendly experience provides a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the countryside and harvest fresh cherries during the summer season.
Experience: Pick your own cherries.
Blue Hills Berries and Cherries (Silvan)
30 Chapman Road, Silvan (Cherry Picking)Blue Hills Berries and Cherries is a long-established family orchard in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges.
Visitors can pick their own ripe cherries during the summer season, with separate areas used for different fruit-picking experiences.
The business also has a farmgate shop and offers seasonal berry picking.
Experience: Pick your own cherries and farmgate sales.
Important: The cherry-picking orchard at Chapman Road is separate from the Parker Road berry-picking and farmgate location. Check your booking confirmation for the correct address.
CherryHill Orchards (Coldstream)
739 Maroondah Highway, ColdstreamCherryHill's Coldstream orchard offers a popular pick-your-own cherry experience in the heart of the Yarra Valley.
The property features extensive cherry orchards, attractive countryside views, a modern farmgate store, cafe facilities and a children's play area.
Visitors can enjoy freshly picked cherries, cherry ice cream and other cherry-inspired treats.
Experience: Pick your own cherries and farmgate sales.
CherryHill Orchards (Wandin East)
474 Queens Road, Wandin EastCherryHill's Wandin East orchard is another popular destination for picking cherries straight from the trees.
Surrounded by the beautiful scenery of the Yarra Valley, the orchard offers a seasonal cherry-picking experience with opportunities to enjoy freshly harvested fruit and cherry products.
Experience: Pick your own cherries.
Lanidale - The Cherry Well (Wandin North)
235 Beenak Road, Wandin NorthLanidale, also known as The Cherry Well, is a family-run cherry orchard offering a relaxed seasonal fruit-picking experience.
Visitors can pick cherries from the orchard or purchase freshly harvested fruit when available. The property provides a picturesque setting in the Yarra Valley.
Experience: Pick your own cherries and farmgate sales, subject to seasonal availability.
Wandin Valley Farms (Wandin North)
47 Hunter Road, Wandin NorthWandin Valley Farms is a long-established cherry producer with a history of growing fruit in the Yarra Valley dating back to the nineteenth century.
Visitors can purchase freshly harvested cherries directly from the farmgate shop, including premium varieties and other seasonal cherry products.
Experience: Farmgate sales only - not a pick-your-own orchard.
Yarra Valley Cherries (Seville)
585 Victoria Road, SevilleYarra Valley Cherries is a boutique producer of premium cherries grown in the picturesque Upper Yarra Valley.
The seasonal farmgate shop offers freshly harvested cherries, along with products such as cherry jam and cold-pressed cherry juice.
The cherries are grown, picked, graded and packed at the orchard.
Experience: Farmgate sales only.
Bacchus Marsh
Naturipe Fruits (Bacchus Marsh)
638 Bacchus Marsh Road, Bacchus MarshNaturipe Fruits offers seasonal pick-your-own fruit experiences in the historic Bacchus Marsh fruit-growing district.
Depending on the time of year and harvest conditions, visitors may be able to pick cherries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines and other seasonal fruit.
Farm-fresh produce is also available for purchase.
Experience: Pick your own cherries and seasonal fruit sales.
Mornington Peninsula
Ripe N Ready Cherry Farm (Red Hill)
52 Arkwells Lane, Red HillRipe N Ready Cherry Farm is a sustainably managed cherry orchard in the beautiful hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula.
Visitors can wander through the orchard picking ripe cherries directly from the trees during the summer harvest season.
The farmgate shop also offers seasonal produce, which may include berries, other fruit, free-range eggs and honey.
Experience: Pick your own cherries and farmgate sales.
Further Cherry Picking Information
For further information about Victorian cherry growers, farmgate shops and pick-your-own experiences, visit:Fruit Growers Victoria - Harvest Trail
Remember that cherry harvesting is seasonal, and the availability of fruit can change rapidly. Confirm the current arrangements directly with each farm before travelling.
Web Links
→ Locations for Pick Your Own Fruit Farms in Melbourne and Victoria
→ www.cherries.org.au
→ Cherry Recipes
→ The Victorian Harvest Trail
